Until the Day I Die
by BrokenDreamz95
Summary: Their relationship was always complicated from the start. See how it grows, told in a series of oneshots. Makorra centric. Post season finale. Now open to prompt requests! Rated T for language and themes. (This collection is on a hiatus. It may or may not return)
1. Fear

This is the first Legend of Korra story I have written. I've had an itch to do a story for the fandom for quite some time now (since the show started, actually), but never really got around to it. As the description suggests, this is a Makorra fanfic taking place after the events of episode 9. I may be turning this into a collection of Makorra stories, but only time will tell. For now, enjoy!

* * *

It was a rather difficult few hours, to say the least.

The group had arrived on Air Temple Island shortly after finding Naga wandering the late night streets of Republic City with Korra on her back. The entire ride back, Mako hadn't left Korra's side. She was passed out beside him on Oogi's saddle; his arm supported her sleeping frame all the way. He didn't dare take his eyes off of her, for he wanted to watch over her during this time. He wanted to be there when she woke up; he wanted to be there if she thrashed around from a nightmare; he wanted to be there to protect her from any possible type of danger.

Bolin had observed the two with a sad look on his face. Yes, he _was_ happy they had found Korra alive, but he hated seeing her in this condition. Korra, the strong, brave, amazing, powerful, beautiful avatar had been broken down to a vulnerable, beaten and battered seventeen year old girl. Nothing more, nothing less. He hated seeing Korra in such a condition as much as his brother did. Hell, he hated seeing his brother so upset over Korra. There was something troubling Bolin had noticed, however.

Asami.

He had taken a quick glance at those who occupied Oogi's saddle; Tenzin, who, of course, had taken the reins tied to Oogi's horns to navigate him back home; Lin Beifong, sitting behind the Airbender with a stern look on her face; Mako and Korra, the latter sleeping with her back propped up against the edge of the saddle, and partly against the side of Mako's body, and the former, his eyes glued to her as if she would vanish before his eyes if he dared look away, with his arm supporting her.

Then came Asami. She had been keeping her distance from the group as soon as she witnessed Mako rushing to Korra's aid and scooping her up into the safety that was his arms. She sat at the very back of the saddle, her hands resting in her lap, and her gaze focused on the city below them. Her expression was a bit difficult to read, Bolin would admit, but he at least knew what was on her mind. What was bugging her.

Despite Tenzin's words, Mako scooped Korra back into his arms once the group had landed on the island and nearly broke out into a run toward the girls' dormitories. Tenzin had opened his mouth to stop the young man, but was stopped himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go. He'll make sure she is well taken care of." It was Lin's hand resting upon him. She looked off in the direction Mako had taken, observing the young man's face. Every few seconds, he would steal a glance at Korra and then revert his gaze back to the path before him. She watched as he struggled to open the door to the building with Korra still in his arms, yet he somehow managed it, and slipped inside. "I'll fill Pema in and have her call for some healers." Lin's hand left his shoulder as she began to walk towards the building she could only assume belonged to the Airbender and his family.

"You two," Tenzin set his eyes on the two teenagers standing off to the side. "Go keep an eye on Mako. I know he is concerned about Korra, but I don't want him getting in the way of the healers. Keep him busy the best you can."

"We're on it!" Bolin nodded. "Operation: Keep Mako Busy, is a go!" Bolin motioned Asami to follow with his hand as he made way for the girls' dormitories.

As soon as Mako had set Korra down on her bed, he had been ushered out of the room by the healers who had recently arrived. It was as if he had been frozen in time from the moment the group had discovered Korra. The only people seeming to exist were him and her, so being commanded out by others left him a bit bewildered until he remembered where he was and what was happening. Bolin had greeted his brother with Asami in tow, her gaze set sternly on Mako for a moment, and moving anywhere but him. Mako had soon found himself walking along the various paths on the island with his brother and girlfriend. Bolin had been chattering something to him, but he didn't hear a word his brother spoke. His mind was elsewhere; on the girl back in her room, surrounded by healers who no doubt had stripped her down in order to search for injuries covered by her clothing.

The various cuts and bruises that were visible flooded Mako's mind. He remembered wiping away some blood from the cut on her face, prompting him to look down at his hands. Sure enough, they were stained red with Korra's blood. He guessed he picked up the majority from carrying and wrapping her up in his arms.

"-I mean... Wait. Mako, are you even listening?"

The sound of his name pulled him back down to reality. His brother was looking back at him over his shoulder waiting for an answer. "Um, sorry... What were you saying, Bo?"

Bolin's brows rose and he let out a chuckle in attempt to help ease the tension and distance he felt from both his brother and Asami. "I was saying that it's lucky we found Korra when we did! I mean, who knows what would have happened if we didn't hear Naga's howl!"

Mako winced at the sound of Korra's name - the same thoughts he had been broken of just seconds ago flooding his mind once again. He did his best to ignore them, knowing she was in excellent hands under the healers. She was the avatar, after all. She would pull through this. She _had_ to.

"Yeah... Real lucky..." was all Mako could manage to say. What else was there to say? All he knew was that he would rather be at Korra's bedside than walking the moonlit island.

"There you three are!" A younger voice rang out. Sure enough, it was Ikki rushing toward them. "Mommy wanted me to let you all know that she's made a late dinner for you." The energetic girl jumped up and down, clapping her hands together as she spoke.

Bolin grinned at the thought of food; his stomach had started growling once they finally found Korra alive, signaling he was relieved enough to eat. "I'm starving! Thanks, kid." Bolin patted Ikki's head to which she replied with a grin matching his own. Asami could only nod and smile in agreement.

Mako could honestly say he didn't care about food at the time being. How could anyone with an injured Korra being tended to by healers? "Is there any news on Korra, yet?" he asked.

Ikki's face dropped at the sudden question. "No. Daddy hasn't heard anything, yet, but Mommy says we all need to eat and rest while we wait."

"I'm not very hungry." Mako replied, shoving his blood stained hands in his pockets. "You guys can go on ahead without me. I want to head back to the dorms and wait. I want to be there when they allow Korra visitors."

"Oh, no you don't!" Bolin latched onto Mako's arm, yanking him forward. "I know you're worried about Korra - all of us are - but you need to remember that Korra is being taken care of. She'd want you to eat, especially since you haven't had a bite all day! You think she'd want you starving because you're worried about her?"

"No, but-"

"No buts!" Bolin yanked him forward some more until he was finally walking with the three back to the dining area in Tenzin's house. He shoved Mako down on a cushion at the table and took a seat himself. Asami followed.

Mako stared at the food before him. His stomach didn't even do much as growl at the sight of Pema's delicious cooking. It was safe to say he must have lost his appetite somewhere along the search for Korra.

Pema had arrived in the room with three bowls of rice and began setting them in front of the three teenagers. It was when she was setting Mako's rice bowl in front of him that she noticed his stained clothing. "Mako, sweetheart, your jacket is covered in blood. Let me wash it for you."

Mako looked up at Pema and then down at his jacket. Sure enough, there were various spots ranging in size in what could only be Korra's blood.

It made him sick just looking at it. Knowing she had bled this much.

He complied, however, standing up and removing his jacket, leaving him in his white undershirt. At the moment, he didn't care about proper table manners. He slung his scarf over his shoulders and met Pema halfway, handing over his soiled jacket.

"I'll have this to you once it's finished. In the mean time, please sit down and at least eat _something_." Pema smiled, taking the jacket from Mako. She examined the stains and nodded to herself. The blood hadn't set yet, so she would have no trouble getting them out. Hey eyes moved back on Mako, a sullen look on his face. "...We're all very worried for Korra, Mako, but you need to understand that the healers are taking the greatest of care with her. Sit down and eat. Tenzin will let all of you know when you can visit Korra, that is, if the kids don't beat him to it..." Her chuckle caused Mako to revert his gaze back towards her. With a nod in thanks, he walked back to the cushion beside his brother and sat down.

Grabbing the chopsticks, Mako poked around at the rice. His appetite didn't seem to be returning any time soon, but, with Bolin hounding him on how important it is that he eat something, he forced himself to take a few bites of the rice, as well as the various other foods Pema had set out for them. It was as Mako went to take another small bite of rice that Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo came into the room with Tenzin in tow. "No running! Ikki, Jinora, stop! Meelo, no Air Scooters in the house!"

Mako couldn't contain himself any longer. At the sight of the children and their father, he was certain they brought good news with them. "Korra! Is she alright? Is she awake?" He quickly rose to his feet and rushed over to Tenzin and the children.

Tenzin let out a sigh of relief and began speaking. "The healers have done the best job that they can. Korra's injuries have been healed to an extent to stop the bleeding, however the worst ones are covered in bandages, just as a precaution. She is still sleeping, but, you each may see her, if you wish."

"Daddy, no fair!" Ikki whined, tugging on Tenzin's robes. "They get to see Korra but we can't?"

"As I said, Ikki..." Tenzin let out one more sigh, this one more in annoyance. "Korra is still sleeping. You three can see her once she is awake. You're too rambunctious at the moment."

The three children continued their pestering, but Mako wasn't planning on staying to listen. He had already ditched his meal and set out for the girls' dormitories, completely ignoring Asami's concerned look and Bolin's "Hey, wait! I want to see her, too!". He honestly didn't care at the moment if the two were following him or not. He wanted to see Korra for himself and assess the work the healers had done. It had taken them this long to do something, so they had to have done an amazing job, right? Healers were experts at making things disappear. Could they have made her pain disappear in an instant? Is that how healing worked? Mako sure hoped that was the case.

He nearly tore down the doors to the building, ignoring the White Lotus Sentries' orders not to enter. Were they not aware he was Korra's friend? Were they not made aware that the healers gave Tenzin the go-ahead to allow her visitors? Whatever the case, Mako would agree with anyone that said _These sentries suck. _He made sure to enter her room without the urgency he showed when entering the building, not wanting to wake her from her sleep.

Before him, Korra was asleep in her bed; the covers pulled up to her waist. Her upper torso and shoulders were covered in one large wrapping of bandages. The cut on her face was also covered with a bandage, and Mako was sure she had more bandages across the rest of her body; ones he'd rather not think about. He didn't want to face how badly beaten Korra was. He looked to the side of the room, noticing a chair. He grabbed the back of it and set it down at Korra's bedside.

"Korra..." Mako whispered, relieved to finally be back at her side. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "What did that bastard do to you?"

His head shot up at the loud thump that came from outside of the room. He eyed the door, glaring when Bolin came through. "If you don't keep it down, you're going to wake her up!" He hissed a whisper.

Bolin returned his brother's glare, though it softened when he finally got a good look at Korra. His heart sunk. "I thought you wanted to be here when she woke up? My noise would just speed up the process!" Bolin whispered, taking a seat on the chair across from the bed.

"Not under that condition. I want her to wake when she's well rested and ready. Not because my idiot of a brother decided it'd be best to make some noise to speed things up." Mako smirked when he caught glimpse of Bolin's goofy grin. "...Where's Asami?"

Bolin's grin faded. "She decided to stay back and clean up while Pema washed your jacket." He noticed when his brother's eyes hardened and went back to Korra. "She cares as much for Korra as we do, bro. I think she thought it was best for you to be alone."

"But I'm not alone." Mako pointed out.

"I know, I know. I'm here. Look, I'm gonna' go and help Tenzin with the kids while he discusses things with the sentries and the healers." Bolin stood from the chair, patted his brother's back, and headed for the door. "You let me know when she wakes up." And with that, he left, closing the door behind him.

Korra began to stir in her sleep, startling Mako. Was she having a nightmare? Did she have a fever? Whatever it was, he would help her somehow. His hand reached for her forehead and rested there for a moment. _Okay. A small fever. Did the healers catch that?_ His hand moved from her forehead to her own hand that was hanging off the edge of the bed. He grasped it.

She grasped it back.

His worried look softened.

"Nng..." Korra groaned. She could barely even keep her eyes open, but she was determined not to lose consciousness again. She was becoming more and more aware of the breeze on her midriff and hoped that this meant she was finally waking up. Her eyes finally decided to open half way, but with heavy eyelids. It didn't matter. As long as she was awake.

"Korra!" Mako grinned at the groan she had let out. Yes, it was most likely in pain, but at least she was finally waking up. He didn't take his eyes off of her - not for the slightest second - and waited for her to realize where she was and who was with her.

"M-mako?" Her voice a barely audible whisper. Looking to her right, Korra could only see a fuzzy figure that began to take shape as her eyes focused. She was greeted by those amber eyes of his and a huge grin. The grin confused her. Mako wasn't the type to grin so easily. That was more Bolin's style. "What's with the goofy smile?" Her voice came out weak, but more audible than before.

Mako's grin faded into a soft smile. "You finally wake up and those are the first words you say?" He shook his head. "How are you feeling?"

Korra shifted slightly, attempting to prop herself up on her elbows. She winced and gave up. "Sore."

"I bet. You... took quite a beating."

Korra winced once more. Not from pain, but from the memories that came back to her of being bloodbent by Tarrlok; trying to escape the metal box he had her imprisoned in; falling down the snowy hill and hitting that tree that just _had _to be there. "Yeah..." She gripped the end of Mako's scarf with her free hand and he realized she was still half asleep. "Your scarf isn't in it's usual fashion... And you're missing your jacket."

Mako rose a brow. "Seriously, you need to worry about yourself and not my clothing."

Korra's eyes left his and stared down at her body. She scanned over the bandages covering the upper half of her torso, and faintly made out the bandages on her legs from the small opening in the sheets draped over her lower half. The room had gone silent. Not that she minded. Just knowing that Mako was with her was comforting enough to Korra. Absentmindedly, she played with the end of his scarf still in her hand, and allowed her mind to wander. She recalled being found by Naga after who knew how long of lying in the cold snow. With Korra on her back, Naga had navigated out of the area Tarrlok had held her captive, carefully analyzing the surrounding trees for any hidden Equalist Amon may have sent after Korra, and eventually arrived back on the empty streets of Republic City. Korra remembered hearing Naga howl up at the sky before coming to a stop. Before she knew it, Lin, Tenzin, Asami, and Bolin had surrounded her, each glad that she was safe. Her vision was still fuzzy during that time, so when she saw a figure coming towards her and pushing Lin out of his way, she was taken aback until she heard his voice. "Give her some space!" Mako had told them before grabbing the slumped over Korra from Naga's back and taking her into his arms. His eyes had been full of so much worry that it sent a pang of guilt surging through Korra, however, she had put on a smile. She really was glad he was there. She was glad all of them were there.

"...I thought you were dead."

The comforting silence had been broken, and Korra felt Mako squeeze her hand ever so slightly. The pain in his voice was undeniable, to say the least. Had she really put him through that much emotional pain?

"I'm sorry I worried you." She looked back at his face and noticed he was looking down at her hand. It was a bit difficult to accurately read his expression, for her vision was still not back to its normal, but if his tone was anything to go by...

Mako's eyes flickered back up. Had she really just said that? "Why would you apologize? What happened wasn't your fault."

"If I had been stronger..."

"You and I both know you couldn't have countered Tarrlok's bloodbending. You may be the avatar, Korra, but you still have your weaknesses. You're only human." He managed a small smile. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. What matters is that you're safe, now."

The silence fell over them once more. This time, not as comforting as it had once been. Korra's hand left Mako's scarf and went to rest on her forehead. She supposed Mako was right. There wasn't much she could have done against Tarrlok without the knowledge on how to preform bloodbending. He had the upper hand the entire time, something he was most certainly aware of. She counted herself lucky, however, having escaped both Tarrlok and Amon, despite what it had cost her. She tried once more to prop herself up into a sitting position, and, this time, Mako helped her, placing his free hand on her back in assistance. The corners of her lips twitched in response to the pain she felt from just simply moving, but she hid it well with a weak smile. Mako's hand which still held onto hers lost its grip when he went to scratch an annoying itch on his upper back. That swift motion was all Korra needed to catch the red tinge on his palm. Her eyes went wide.

Mako took notice to Korra's sudden change in expression and furrowed his brows in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Your hands..." She whispered. "Is that... blood?"

Mako's eyes instantly shot down to his palms as he remembered the stains. His stomach knotted. "Yeah." His answer was simple, and he was sure the pain he was feeling was written all across his face. Korra knew the extent of her injuries. There was no way she couldn't. It was just... He didn't want to have her relive the memories. Telling her that the blood belonged to her, and there was more on his jacket would surely bring some painful memories back to her mind. He also didn't want to lie to her. What good would that do?

"My blood." Was all she said. Mako kept his head down, but looked at her through his eyelashes. He watched as Korra's formerly downcast eyes looked back at him, specifically his torso. He guessed she had finally figured out why he was missing his jacket. "That's why your jacket is gone. Pema is washing out the blood stains." He was surprised, to say the least, that Korra's words came as a statement, rather than a question. There wasn't really any point in hiding this from her. Yet, he still wanted to protect her, even if all he was protecting her from at this point was further mental harm. At this point, all Mako could do was nod in response.

"It wasn't a lot, but it was a fair amount. Tenzin said that the healers were able to stop the bleeding as much as they could, and that the bandages you have are just as a precaution, as well as to keep the wounds from getting infected. We don't need you getting worse off than you already are." He found himself moving the few stray strands of hair away from her face again as he spoke. "I should go get Tenzin. I'm sure he wants to speak with you, now that you're awake."

Korra grabbed Mako's wrist as he stood from his chair. "Wait," she began. "Stay. At least until I fall asleep, again. I don't think I have enough energy to hold a full conversation, yet."

Mako looked down at her. She was right; she looked to be on the verge of passing out again. He didn't blame her. After everything she had been through, she needed all of the rest she could get. "Of course." He complied and sat back down. The silence returned for what would most likely be the last time of the night. Korra and Mako's eyes remained on each other the entire time, and when her eyelids became to heavy to fight any longer, she whispered "Thanks, City Boy."

Mako allowed a small smile to graze his face. He was oh so relieved to be looking at a peacefully sleeping Korra, instead of the broken Korra they had found drifting in and out of consciousness. He allowed himself a moment to stay with her, just to make sure she didn't wake from a nightmare or from pain, before standing up from his chair. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, Korra. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

He left the room after that, making sure to close the door as carefully and noiselessly as possible, and his mind began to wander. Was that innocent kiss on the forehead just a simple gesture from a friend, or had it been a gesture that meant more? He would figure that out later. Either way, he was now willing to accept how strong the feelings he harbored for Korra were.

* * *

That's it! I hope you all enjoyed. If you spot any mistakes that I missed during my proof reading, please do not hesitate to point them out. Like I said at the top, this may turn into a collection of Makorra shorts, but only time will tell. Please leave a review if you have the time!


	2. Need to Protect

This is post episode 10: Turning the Tides. If you haven't watched the episode yet and do not want to be spoiled, please do not read any further! I wrote this quickly, and am not really too happy about it, but I figured I'd post it, anyway. And, yes. I am turning this one-shot into a collection of one-shots. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The skies were flooded with large, dark clouds of smoke being produced by the various fires in Republic City. Screams from citizens seemed to be the only sound that could be heard as explosion after explosion set off. Multiple men, women, and children lay either lifeless on the ground, or clutching to their wounds as they called out for their friends and family members. Mothers clutched their children close to them as rubble fell from the ceilings; siblings hid under tables and sturdy structures as shelter in wait for the next attack; and couples held each other, spilling their guts and whispering words of comfort just in case this would be the last time seeing one-another.

Korra wished she could somehow drown out the noise from the explosions and the bloodcurdling screams from below. How could everything have escalated so quickly? Amon had claimed to be the face of the non-benders, yet, his attacks were on them, as well. He knew his attacks, which were no doubt targeted on the benders of the city, would also harm the non-benders he claimed to be helping. He knew his attacks came with a price, and yet, he went ahead with them. Perhaps he really wasn't for the non-benders, as he had claimed to be for so long. He had to have been after the city. Why? Korra couldn't quite figure it out. Not with all of the screams and cries in pain seeming to surround her. When she couldn't take the sounds and visuals any longer, she turned and sunk to the ground. This was something she was supposed to prevent from occurring. After all, she _was_ the Avatar. She wasn't down there protecting her people like she should have been. They were dropping dead or fighting for their lives while she just watched from a presumably safe location Bolin had pointed out for a time of rest.

Korra glanced at her friends from the corner of her eye. Bolin sat on the ground with Pabu in his lap; his eyes downcast as he patted the fire ferret's head. Asami sat across from Bolin with her back pressed up against a tree, no doubt thinking about her father and what role he was playing in these attacks. Mako stood away from the two with his arms crossed tightly against his chest. How were they feeling through all of this? Knowing the city they called home was being destroyed?

She looked at the ground, now, as her mind wandered to Tenzin and his family, and Lin. They had escaped the island, but with two Equalist air ships on their tail. Had they made it out alright and found safety? Or had they been taken down and captured by the one of the ships' crew? She shook her head, ridding the thought from her mind. She couldn't think that way. Not now. Not ever.

She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. If she ever wanted to take a moment to feel everything pertaining to the Equalists she had hidden since her first encounter, now was the time. She let the fear wash over her, not bothering to fight it away; tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She should be in the city helping people get to safety instead of running. What was her problem? She was the Avatar, for crying out loud! Protecting people in order to keep peace and balance in the world was her duty.

A duty she felt she couldn't fulfill.

She jumped ever so slightly when she felt an arm wrap around her body. She took her gaze off of the ground and brought them up slowly. His amber eyes bore into her blue ones, and a soft, caring smile complimented his features.

She lost it.

On impulse, Korra clung to Mako and buried her face in his scarf. She allowed the tears to spill over silently as she took in the firebender's scent. With him, Korra felt a bit more safe.

Mako felt what could only be Asami's eyes glaring at the back of his head. He payed no mind to it as he wrapped his other arm around Korra, hugging her close to him. She needed all of the comfort she could get at this point.

For a moment, Korra noticed that the terrible noises from Republic City seemed to stop.

* * *

Like the last one-shot, please let me know if you spot anything that needs to be corrected. I believe I caught everything, but nothing is ever perfect. And, like I said at the top, I'm not too happy with this, but I decided to post it, anyway. I hope you all enjoyed! R&R is always appreciated.


	3. Telling Mom and Dad

Wow! The season finale yesterday was amazing! I couldn't have asked for more. Well, actually, more Bumi wouldn't have been so bad... Anyways, here is a new little one-shot I wrote! This idea popped into my mind after watched the season finale, and I had to write it. I'm going to be open to prompts, now, so if you have any, please do not hesitate to include them in your review, or shoot me a private message. Thanks for reading, everyone! Means a lot! By the way, this is obviously post-season finale.

* * *

"Do we really have to tell your parents _now_?" Mako gripped his newly acquired Water Tribe jacket closer to his body as he trudged through the snow with Korra beside him. He wasn't prepared for how cold the Southern Water Tribe really was. Even the cold Republic City winters had nothing on the temperatures here in the south pole. He wasn't accustomed to how thick the snow pack here was; he had nearly tripped countless times over covered rocks since arriving with the rest of Team Avatar, something Bolin and Korra always enjoyed getting a crack out of. As he was busy messing with his coat in attempt to get a bit warmer, he fumbled slightly over a hidden obstacle, earning a laugh from Korra.

"_Yes_, we do have to tell them _now_." Korra's laughter began to die down now. "Everyone but my parents know about our relationship. We can't keep them in the dark forever just because_ someone_ is afraid of my father."

Mako's eyes went wide for a moment before his expression settled into a scowl. "I'm not afraid of your father!" He shot back almost too quickly. "I just... Don't see why we have to rush and tell them." He waited for a reply, only getting a smirk in return when he glanced over at Korra. It wasn't until she stopped that he realized they were standing in front of her home.

"I'll be telling them with or without you, so feel free to leave if you want to. Although," her smirk grew into an all out satisfied smile. "my father may not be too happy that you left his little girl on her own to tell her parents she's in a relationship with the firebender boy."

Mako stared down the door. Korra was right. If he was to leave her on her own, her father would most likely go on a hunting trip for him. However, if he were to go in with her... He didn't want to think of what could happen. He had heard stories of how fierce Water Tribe men were, especially when it came to their families. He figured he was as good as dead either way. "I'll... I'll go with you."

"Good choice, City Boy." Korra's smile softened as she took Mako's hand in her own and opened the door to her home. Her mother was putting the finishing touches of cleaning her home by sweeping the remainder of the floor, while her father sat at the table in the center of the main room, cleaning what was no doubt his latest kill.

Mako dropped Korra's hand at the sight of the knife resting beside Tonraq's arm, earning another amused grin from his girlfriend beside him. The sound of the door closing behind the couple prompted both Senna and Tonraq to look up from their work and turn their attention to their daughter and the young man standing beside her.

Senna smiled and propped the broom up against the wall. "Hello, you two. What brings you here so early?"

"Dinner won't be ready for quite a while, now." Tonraq pointed out, grabbing the knife beside him and slicing open the next fish. Mako gulped.

"Actually, Mom, Dad..." Korra glanced up at Mako, taking notice that his gaze was focused on her father's current actions. "There was something I - we -" she grabbed Mako's hand. "wanted to tell you."

Tonraq stopped his work on the fish and placed the knife on the tabletop. He grabbed the rag beside him and wiped his hands, staining it with blood and dirt. He stood from his seat and went to stand by his wife. "Well, what is it?"

Mako felt his pulse quicken. This was it. This was either the time he became seriously injured or murdered. He felt Korra give his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. _Here it comes._

"Mako and I are together."

Those words caused several images and thoughts to blast through Mako's kind at what seemed like warp speed. He could see it now; Tonraq grabbing his knife from the table and chasing Mako out of his house and over the entire south pole; maybe he'd chase him to the cliff where Mako witnessed Korra enter the Avatar State and regain her bending, and push him right off of it into the freezing waters below. Even if he was attacked, Mako wouldn't fight back even if it meant life or death. He couldn't bring himself to firebend at Korra's father, no matter if he was trying to kill him or not. Even with a caring smile on his face, Tonraq sent fear running straight through Mako's veins. He knew if he allowed anything to happen to Tonraq's little girl, he was as good as dead. So when Tonraq smiled, Mako was taken by surprise. The fear he had previously felt seemed to slowly fade. The anticipation of a stronger surge of fear at Tonraq's smile grew stronger by the second, and when it didn't come, Mako could only wonder. Tonraq didn't even appear intimidating anymore. The smile on his face was full of sincerity and welcome.

"That's fantastic, sweetheart!" Senna smiled. She leaned up against her husband and they exchanged glances, obviously pleased with their daughter's happiness.

Mako had heard what he interpreted as a sigh of relief come from Korra's mouth. She must have been as worried as he was. He felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips.

A gloved hand came to rest on Mako's shoulder. Tonraq's smile remained as he looked at his daughter's boyfriend. "As long as you make my Korra happy," Tonraq nudged his daughter with his other hand and grinned. "you're okay in my book. I want you to know that you and your brother, as well as Asami, are all welcome in our little family we have."

Mako smiled back at Tonraq and nodded. "Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I do have to warn you, though."

_Oh no._

"If you do anything to hurt my daughter, I won't hesitate to come after you."

Tonraq spoke those words with a smile, leaving Mako's eyes wide, his pulse to quicken once again, and the fear to spread throughout his body. This man could go from calm and friendly, to calm and vicious in a matter of seconds.

Korra laughed. _What? Why is she laughing? _"Don't worry about that, Dad. Mako should know by now that if he _were _to do something, I'm the one he really needs to fear." She grinned.

Mako groaned. "What did I get myself in to?"

"Says the guy who took on Amon without a problem." Korra teased. "You are right, though, to fear my dad and I more."

What the hell _did_ he get himself in to?

And when Mako and Korra shared the news with Bolin and Asami that her parents had welcomed them all into their family, Bolin had greeted Tonraq and Senna at dinner with a holler of "Mama and Papa Avatar!", took them both in his arms, and gave them the biggest bear hug he was capable of.

* * *

That last little bit with Bolin popped into my head in the middle of writing. I had to include it, it seemed to great to pass up. I hope you all enjoyed this. I actually found it very amusing to write, knowing a lot of fathers are very protective of their daughters, especially when said daughter gets a boyfriend. I also know a lot of guys are afraid of their girlfriend's father and/or mother, so writing Mako this way was very amusing. R&R is always appreciated. If you find any errors that I missed (didn't have much time to proofread, but I did do my best), remember to point them out so that I may fix them. Also, don't forget! If you have any prompts you'd like to recommend to me for future oneshots, please include them in your review, or in a private message! Again, I hope you all enjoyed!


	4. Protective Father

An update already? Yup! This idea popped into my mind late last night, so I made sure to write a note of it in my iPod so I could remember it today. Thankfully, this turned out pretty well, at least, in my opinion. I just love writing some Tonraq/Mako interaction. It amuses me. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The bright morning sun reflected off of the fresh snow that settled on the ground sometime during the night. The light shone brightly into the homes and buildings within the compound of the Southern Water Tribe, threatening to blind anyone who opened their curtains or dared step foot outside. Of course, those who needed to provide for their family were among the few crazy enough to bare the cold and the blinding sunlight as they ventured out on their hunting trips that would no doubt last a few hours, possibly making it into a day-long journey. Tonraq was one of those few.

Grabbing the last of his weapons, Tonraq smiled when his wife kissed his cheek and handed him the lunch she had packed for him the night before, as well as a separate package of seal jerky to snack on as he walked. Placing everything into a hunting bag, Tonraq slung the bag over his shoulder and made way toward his daughter's room to bid her goodbye before he had set out. When he reached her room, he noticed the door was slightly cracked, from which he could see her sleeping form. The sight brought memories of when she was younger to his mind and a smile to his face. Perhaps it was best not to wake her.

At least, that's what he believed until he caught sight of a tall figure in his daughter's bedroom.

Tonraq slid the door slightly, gaining him more access of the room. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed when it was revealed that the tall figure was his daughter's newly acquired boyfriend, Mako, standing beside the sleeping Korra, brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and nudging her shoulder ever so slightly. Korra stirred for a moment and turned on her side away from Mako, mumbling, "Not now, Dad. I'm sleeping," at the young man. Mako had chuckled softly and nudged the Avatar's shoulder once more. "It's me," Mako had said. "Your mother sent me in here to wake you for breakfast."

Tonraq furrowed his brows deeper, this time in confusion, at the young man's words. He didn't remember seeing Mako come in, let alone speak with Senna. Then again, he knew how much his daughter's boyfriend feared him, so he had most likely slipped in undetected while Tonraq prepared the gear for his trip.

Korra had turned slightly, allowing her a better view of Mako, and smiled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "That's okay, then," she smiled a bit more as she began to awake. Her hand tugged at Mako's scarf, pulling him down until his lips met her own.

"Ahem," Tonraq cleared his throat, sliding the door to his daughter's bedroom fully open. His daughter and her boyfriend quickly broke apart; Korra was left with a light tinge of pink splayed across her cheeks, while Mako's entire face was nearly beat red, much to Tonraq's amusement.

"I-I am s-so s-sorry, sir!" Mako straightened his back and backed away from Korra. "I was just-"

"Out," Tonraq ordered, folding his arms across his chest. He watched as Mako was left speechless, most likely scanning through his mind to try and find the right words to say.

"Huh?" Mako uttered. Tonraq took note that the young man appeared as if he was ready to bash his head against the wall for saying something so stupid.

"Out of my daughter's room," Tonraq's tone was demanding, now. Mako was left speechless once more; his eyes darting to Korra as if silently asking her to help him. "Now!"

Mako's eyes were nearly ready to pop out of his head at Tonraq's words. "Y-yes, sir!" He scurried past Tonraq, avoiding eye contact with the man, and quickly hurried out of the home.

Tonraq's stern gaze softened as he turned to look at his daughter. "Looks like he'll be missing out on breakfast," he smiled.

"Dad, that was pretty cruel of you," Korra said, shifting into a sitting position on her bed. "I want Mako to like you, not fear you!"

Tonraq's smile widened at Korra's words. He moved to her bedside. "I can't help it if the boy is scared of me. I'm just helping reinforce his perspective!" His smile was a full blown grin, now, prompting Korra to roll her eyes and give a small smile of her own. "I came to tell you bye before I left on my hunting trip for the day."

Korra rose a brow. "By scaring Mako in the process?"

Tonraq chuckled. "Hey! I should bring him hunting with me, sometime; teach that boy to let go of his fears!" He nudged at his hunting gear with his thumb, and the two shared a laugh.

* * *

I wasn't too sure on the ending, but I'm pretty satisfied with how this entire one-shot turned out. I hope you all enjoyed! As always, please point out mistakes (if any) that I may have missed during my editing process. R&R is always appreciated, and prompts from the readers are always welcome, either in a private message, or a review. Thanks for reading!


	5. Conflict

Here is a new oneshot that I just finished earlier today. The idea was left by** Mashka48 **in a recent review, so I'd like to thank her, for that. I don't have much time to proofread this, but I did the best I could, fixed typos, and added some things I accidentally left out, or felt that needed to be placed into the shot. I'm currently playing Borderlands with two of my friends, so that is why my proofreading time has been dwindled down, today, and I really wanted to share this with you as soon as possible. If you catch anything, please let me know, and, as always, enjoy!

* * *

Exhausted was an understatement for how run down Korra was at the moment. After a two week stay at the south pole, she and the rest of Team Avatar returned to Republic City, one week after Tenzin and his family left for Air Temple Island. As much as Korra loved spending time with her parents and Katara, she wanted to get back to Republic City as soon as possible in order to begin restoring the bending to those who lost theirs to Amon. Tenzin had instructed Korra to rest a while, to which she heavily protested against, but ultimately agreed to stay put with much persuasion from her friends, parents, and boyfriend. She had even gone as far as attempting to sneak onto Oogi's saddle before Tenzin and his family left for home, however, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo had ratted her out when they found her half-an-hour before their departure. Tenzin wasn't the least bit thrilled at the Avatar's actions, giving her a stern gaze as she jumped from Oogi and to the ground, as well as a long sigh of annoyance, but the Airbender understood her intentions.

When Team Avatar's departure date rolled around, Korra was both saddened by the fact that she would be leaving her parents, and Katara, and ecstatic that she would be back in Republic City, a place she could now call home, and get to work on restoring the bending of Amon's victims. The group had boarded a ship headed for the city after saying their goodbyes to Korra's parents, and Master Katara. The farewells were sad, to say the least, until it was only Mako who was left to say goodbye to a certain father. Tonraq had given the young man a hug followed by a sly grin. "The next time you and Korra visit, I'll see to it that we take a much needed hunting trip; just the two of us," Tonraq gave Mako a pat on the back and nearly burst into laughter at the firebender's frightened look. Those in witness attempted to contain their laughter as best they could, with Korra being the one to break the silence as her laughs filled the air. Mako had glared at her as the group of four made way onto the ship, to which Korra shrugged as if she had no clue what the problem was.

Upon arrival, the group took the time to dine at a restaurant close by before taking the last ferry of the day to Air Temple Island. Mako, Bolin, and Asami were offered by Tenzin (truthfully, it was Korra, who assumed the offer for the three to stay on the island still stood) to continue their stay until the three of them could find a place of their own, even going as far as offering his assistance in any way possible to find the brothers and Asami apartments of their own. His offer was gladly accepted with much thanks by the three, allowing Tenzin a sigh of relief. No matter how much he enjoyed their presence, one teenager was enough in his book.

Now, Korra stood before a crowd consisting of both benders and non-benders in the center of the very same hall where Tarrlok had thrown a gala in her honor. She had just restored the bending of the last metalbending officer who had served under the former Chief of Police. Korra hadn't anticipated how many people Amon had actually made his victim. It's taken the course of several days to restore the bending to all but one person, something she wished she could have done quicker. She still wasn't fully in touch with her spirituality, causing even a few short sessions of energybending to leave her feeling as though all she had done, day and night, for an entire week was train in each element. She huffed and looked at the sight before her; there was only one more person left to reclaim their bending. Korra was elated that everything had gone as smoothly as it had, especially now that she was so close to being finished. The last person began to make their way to her, leaving her to smile kindly. That was, until the young man smirked at her, leaving her smile to fade away and her expression to settle into a scowl.

"Hello, uh-vatar," Tahno came to a stop just a few inches away from Korra, definitely closer than the others who came to get their bending returned. "It looks as though you've saved the best for last."

Korra briefly remembered that there was an audience watching her every move in awe, however, her scowl still remained. Tahno just irked her _that_ much. "Let's make this quick, Tahno. I'd like to get back home and rest."

Tahno's smirk seemed to have gained more cockiness at her words. "You aren't happy to see me? I'm offended, uh-vatar." He moved to his knees, now, mimicking what he had seen others before him do. "How about, after you return my bending, I take you out to dinner as a little token of my appreciation?"

Just as Korra opened her mouth to reply, an arm wrapped around her waist and jerked her to the side. Glancing up at Mako, her scowl was momentarily replaced with an unamused look.

"Not today, Tahno," Mako's lips curled into a snarl as he spoke; his eyes focused on the young man before him and Korra.

"I don't remember asking you out to dinner," Tahno glanced at Mako for a moment before turning his attention back on the Avatar. "So what do you say? Think you'd like to accompany the captain of the fourth-year pro-bending champions on a nice dinner date?"

_Date_. The word burned into Mako's mind, nearly setting him off. He glanced down at his girlfriend and pulled her closer, much to her displeasure. She had a job to do, he knew that much, but this guy needed to be put in his place. "If you haven't noticed, _Korra_," he put emphasis on her name, making it obvious that he didn't appreciate Tahno referring to her as the _uh-vatar_, "is taken. The only person she'll be going out on dates with is _me_."

Tahno chuckled. "You sure do move fast, eh, Fire Ferret? Last time I recall, you were dating that beauty over there," he nudged his chin in Asami's direction. "_Korra_ deserves better than you, and I'm just the guy for the job."

It was Korra's turn to step and interrupt as Mako opened his mouth to no doubt shoot back with something smart. She pushed away and squirmed out of Mako's hold. "If you keep it up, Tahno, I may just decide _not_ to return your bending," she folded her arms across her chest. "

Tahno put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. Do your stuff, uh-vatar."

Korra rolled her eyes. She moved toward the Wolf-Bats captain, coming to a stop an inch or so closer than he had originally stopped at. Placing her left hand on his shoulder and her right thumb on his forehead, Korra inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Exhaling slowly, her eyes opened with the familiar glow only possessed by the Avatar. The area where her thumb rested glowed, as well, leaving the crowd in awe, despite them having witnessed her perform this many times beforehand. The glowing began to die down, signaling the action was over as quickly as it had began. Korra removed her hands from Tahno and stepped back a bit, coming to stand beside Mako.

Tahno's eyes fluttered open. He remained still for a moment and slowly stood up. That smug look of his settled on his features. "Thank-you, uh-vatar. I'm in your debt," he placed his hands in his slack pockets and turned on his heel, beginning the walk for the exit.

"You don't want to make sure that I returned your bending, Pretty Boy?" Korra asked.

Tahno kept his pace for the exit. "I trust you. I want you to keep something in mind, though," he turned his head slightly. "When you get tired of that boyfriend of yours, which I'm sure will be soon, you know where to find me," he winked. "See you soon, uh-vatar."

Korra _knew _she should have stopped Mako from stalking furiously after Tahno, especially with such a large crowd in witness, but paid no mind to it. It was fun to watch Tahno squirm as a jealous Mako went after him.

* * *

This was actually really fun to write. I actually plan on bringing Tahno into some more oneshots in the future, so please be on the lookout for those. As I said above, I didn't have much time to proofread due to the fact that I am currently playing Borderlands with two friends of mine, and I wanted to get this up to you all as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed, and if you spot anything that is out of place, doesn't make sense, typos, grammar errors, anything, please do not hesitate to contact me so I can fix it. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate all of your reviews!


	6. Height Difference

Here is a short oneshot I wrote earlier today while I was working on a much longer oneshot, which is now finished, but will be posted, most likely, within the next few days. As always, I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to review!

* * *

It wasn't a secret that Mako was significantly taller than Korra. With both standing upright, Mako's chin was eye level with Korra. He had always gone out of his way to make note that she _was just way too short_ which annoyed her to no end. She didn't mind the height difference all that much unless the two were sparring. Mako would throw in the already known height difference, sending her into a fit which usually involved her sending a swift kick straight for his head that just barely grazed his shoulder. He would laugh and she would cross her arms, sinking into a pout.

Jinora had commented on the matter before, telling Korra that she shouldn't worry; a man being much taller than the woman was _very romantic_, as she had put it. Ikki had piped up, getting her own comment in, telling Korra that her being shorter than her boyfriend was cute, and it only meant Korra would have to either stand on her toes or be swept up and off her feet by said boyfriend for a kiss. Korra had felt her face heat up at the girls' words. She was still new to this relationship business, so any mention of Mako as her boyfriend, or romance, or kisses sent her into a frenzy.

She was becoming more and more aware of just how tall her boyfriend was, taking notice when she would look _up_ at him. She had turned the tables on him, calling _him_ out instead of the other way around. "Why do you have to be _so_ tall?" She had asked as the two walked the grounds of Air Temple Island after an intense sparring match.

He had raised his eyebrows in response, making sure to look down at her with a great deal of exaggeration, much to her displeasure. He just loved to push her buttons. "Why do _you_ have to be _so_ short?"

Korra turned her head to the side with a scowl, muttering, "I am _not_ short," earning a chuckle from Mako. She yelped out in surprise when two hands griped at her waist, jerking her upward. The chuckling from Mako had turned into full blown laughter as he took Korra in his arms and hoisted her up. Pressing his forehead to her's, he smiled, "You are _too_, short."

Korra found her arms wrapping around Mako's neck. Giving a smile of her own, she brought her lips to meet his. Jinora and Ikki's words rung through her mind as she and her boyfriend shared a kiss on a pathway on the island, somewhere with the gentle breeze flowing through the air.

Perhaps this height difference thing wasn't such an issue, after all.

* * *

As always, any mistakes spotted, please point them out in a review or PM and I will fix them ASAP! I hope you all enjoyed, and, like I said, my longer oneshot will be posted within the next few days. I still need to proofread and edit the entire thing. Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed!


	7. Hunting Trip

Here is the longer oneshot I mentioned yesterday, in the sixth oneshot. This is the Tonraq/Mako hunting trip I know a few readers wanted to see. Keep in mind, this isn't as long as the first oneshot in this collection, but it is still pretty long. Took a while to write and edit, but I finally got around to it. I also know a lot of readers want to see some more Mako/Korra one-on-one, which I am actually in the process of writing. I just wanted to get these other ideas out of my mind before I started the one-on-one romance oneshots. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. Spot any errors, please make sure to bring them to my attention in a review or PM so I may fix them. I hope you all enjoy! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, as well as kept up with this collection! It means a lot.

* * *

The bright light emitting from rising sun off in the horizon glinted off of the fresh snow on the ground. Cold morning air carrying a light snow fall breezed around the vast area. The morning was relatively silent other than the sound of boots making contact with snow and ice.

Mako still wasn't used to this extreme cold. Even with the hood of his parka pulled up over his head, the firebender felt as though he could be frozen solid at any given moment. Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he blew a puff of warm air in attempt to warm his body. He had debated countless times through his journey out into the snowy tundra to simply give off a breath of fire, knowing that would effectively bring up his body temperature, however, with Tonraq walking three steps ahead of him, he was reluctant to do _anything_; firebend, take a moment to observe the weapons he carried of his back, walk beside the man, even utter a few words. Truth be told, Mako did not want to be out on this hunting trip. Tonraq had invited the young firebender the night before to accompany him. Mako hadn't answered, instead turning to Korra for some type of assistance. Of course, his girlfriend had told her father that Mako would be _happy_ to join him, shooting her boyfriend a sly grin when she caught sight of his glare. Tonraq had given Mako a grin of his own and slapped the firebender's back, telling him, "That's the spirit, boy!" and ordering him to be ready at dusk.

Mako had sunk into a chair later that night when Tonraq and Senna had long since retired to bed. Korra had come to sit beside him, and looked up at his face, trying to read him. "You should really get to bed. You'll be up early and out all day," she had said in a low voice as to not wake her parents. If they knew Mako had overstayed his daily welcome, especially into the _night_, she was certain _both_ of them would be goners.

Mako had responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Korra finally asked him what was wrong. He had taken a deep breath and told her he wanted to enjoy this moment if tomorrow meant his untimely death. She couldn't help but to burst into laughter.

Now, walking through the snow, Mako's mind began to flood with various thoughts and scenarios of what Korra's father was going to do once they stopped walking. Perhaps he would turn to face the firebender, pulling a spear from his bag and pointing it at Mako, ordering him to stay away from his daughter or he would be sorry. Or maybe he would just attack and leave him for dead. The thought of Tonraq calmly, yet, still with his intimidating demeanor, telling him to get his ass back to Republic City, far away from his daughter briefly cross his mind. Mako couldn't pinpoint a logical reason for him to even _be_ on this trip. He hadn't the slightest idea on how to hunt. What was he going to do? It wasn't like Tonraq was out here to give him lessons.

Mako glanced at Tonraq quickly enough to notice him come to a halt; his arm extended out behind him with his palm up in signal to stop. "Shh," he nodded his head to something in front of him. Mako's eyes followed the invisible trail until his gaze came to land on the pack of tiger seals resting on, or near, a block of ice. Tonraq's hands slowly moved to the bag slung over his shoulder. A grin captured the man's features. Mako could have sworn he felt his heart stop. He figured it out. The tiger seals were a decoy to divert Mako's attention for Tonraq's true motives. He was going to grab the spear from his bag and turn on Mako. He knew it! Why hadn't Korra listened to him?

"You know," Tonraq's sudden whisper tore Mako from his mind, "why don't you go ahead and get the first kill of the day? A tiger seal will make for a great ingredient in several meals, and some fantastic jerky."

Mako was baffled. Had Tonraq really asked him - the firebending city boy who had no knowledge in hunting whatsoever - to take down a tiger seal? Then again, Mako wondered if this was all apart of his plan Mako believed he had in his mind. Mako goes in to take down the creature, and instead gets taken down himself. It had to have been apart of his plan. It just _had_ to!

The members of the pack each let out a howl in unison, and Tonraq shot a look over at Mako. "What are you waiting for? Get out there and get us some dinner!" The man grinned.

Mako breathed in sharply, grabbing for the spear in his own bag. He glanced at the man kneeling off to the side, no doubt positioned for a clear view, and began slowly for the tiger seal nearest to the two men. Mako could feel his heart pump rapidly with adrenalin from both the thought of Tonraq - literally - stabbing him in the back, and the thrill of going in for the kill. As he approached the tiger seal, Mako rose the spear above him slightly, and thrust it down into the creature's back. With a yelp in pain that echoed through the area, the tiger seal fell limp, signaling the life had left, while the remaining members of the pack fled from the hunters. Unsure of what to do at this point, Mako glanced back at Tonraq, who was now making way for him. The older man came to a stop in front of the lifeless creature, observing the point-of-entry of the spear.

"Great job for your first kill, Mako," Tonraq smiled. "But, next time, try to go for a cleaner kill. A shot in the back is fine, but the way you did it may have caused some of the meat to taint." The man grabbed the shaft of the spear and pulled the weapon out as gently as he could. Mako instinctively took a few steps back as he observed the older man handling the weapon. Tonraq looked down at the kill for a moment before putting his attention back on Mako. "Here," he held the spear out toward Mako, "clean the blood off."

Mako took the weapon in his grasp, while Tonraq took out his knife and began slicing the creature open, preparing to gut the animal. Grabbing a rag out of his own bag, Mako ran it over the spear head, wiping the blood away as best he could. The two worked in silence, leaving Mako rather uncomfortable. He was awaiting the moment Tonraq would pull the knife out of the dead creature and point it toward him with a threatening glare.

"Mako," Tonraq began, breaking the long silence between the two. He paused as if to give Mako a chance to say something.

Mako reluctantly took his eyes off of his work on the spear which had been finished for quite some time, now. He felt as if continuing to act like he was still cleaning the blood off, Tonraq wouldn't bother him. "Yes, sir?" He didn't stutter nervously this time. Good.

"I want to ask what your intentions with my daughter are," Tonraq glanced at his daughter's boyfriend out of the corner of his eye. A puzzled expression found its way onto the young firebender's face, causing an amused smile to tug at the corners of Tonraq's mouth.

Mako tentatively licked his lips, allowing his mind time to process what the older man had just said. Nervously moving the rag back to the spear head, Mako answered, "Well, sir... I, uh..." Things were certainly not going in his favor. Anything this man said sent fear into Mako, so replying to his statement proved rather difficult for the young man. "I, um..." The work on the spear stopped. He threw the rag ad spear back into his bag and watched as Tonraq continued his own work on the dead tiger seal. It would make no sense to lie to this man, however, the truth Mako was prepared to speak would possibly not settle well with the protective father, either. The thought of darting off in the opposite direction crossed his mind, but that would _definitely _not be tolerated by Tonraq. Mako would be out of both his girlfriend and his life. Taking a deep breath, Mako began his reply, "Well, sir, I, um..." He could have sworn he caught Tonraq raise a brow in realization that Mako had just repeated himself. The firebender took a deep breath. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he would meet his fate. "Look," Mako exhaled, "I'm going to be honest with you when I say Korra and I got off on the wrong foot when we first met. I was a jerk to her at times, yeah, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't all that thrilled when I was dating Asami, but-"

"You had a girlfriend before my daughter?"

Mako's eyes went wide. Perhaps his rambling wasn't the greatest of ideas. "Yes, but-"

"Obviously something didn't work out with her if you're with my daughter."

Somehow, _somehow_, Mako calmed down. With another sigh, he spoke, "Yes. Things didn't work out with Asami because I realized something," he studied Tonraq's face the best he could. The man was still cleaning out the creature before him, making it hard for Mako to get a good look. "I realized, while I was with Asami, that I was harboring feelings for someone else," Still no response from Tonraq. Not even a shake of the head. "Do you remember when Korra told you that Councilman Tarrlok abducted and held her prisoner? I was so worried that I would never see her again; that something terrible had, or would, happen. That was the day I realized how much I truly care for Korra. That day, I realized that I love your daughter, sir, and I would never do anything to hurt her. I know she's the Avatar and she can take care of herself, something she's told me many times, but I want to protect her. I would do anything to make her happy and to see her smile."

Tonraq felt a smile tug at his lips. Placing the knife down in the snow, he stood and took a rag out of his own bag. He wiped his hands, allowing the smile to win him over. "Right answer."

Mako's rapid heart rate had slowed to a normal pace at the older man's words. He had done it. He had set a good impression with his girlfriend's father. Allowing a smile of his own, Mako watched Tonraq place the soiled rag back into his bag and turn to him. "I've noticed the way my daughter's face brightens up when she sees you. You bring her a sort of happiness that - I believe - no one else can, and she does the same for you. Am I wrong?" Mako remained quiet, only shaking his head. "I know Korra brings you tremendous happiness because that is what Senna brings to me, and I only hope I do the same for her as you do for Korra. As long as my Korra is happy, I'm happy, so you're okay in my book, Mako. Now, as far as the fear you have for me goes," he had made his way to Mako, now, placing his hand on the firebender's shoulder, "you can drop that. I just liked to mess with you." Tonraq's smile transformed into a grin. Mako now knew where Korra got her personality.

Feeling as though a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Mako felt the calmest he had ever felt around his girlfriend's father. However, the good-hearted, happy moment was ruined when his eyes wandered over to the lifeless tiger seal. "Thank you, sir, but I have to admit, I feel a bit awkward now that I've become very aware we shared a conversation like this while my kill is lying over there."

Tonraq's booming laughter rung through Mako's ears. "You're too soft, boy! Now help me hang it up so the blood can drain. We'll go hunt some more."

...

Korra had made her way outside when she saw the familiar spiked black hair bobbing up and down as its owner walked in the distance. Slung over his shoulder was his first kill - the tiger seal - and a good amount of fish hung off of a tie connected to his pants. Her father had his own fish, as well as two otter penguins he carried over both of his shoulders. She met the two halfway and took notice of Mako's smile. "You two have fun?"

Mako and Tonraq exchanged glances. "Actually, yeah. At least, I did."

"This guy is terrible at catching fish!" Tonraq laughed. "I had to do most of the work, but that tiger seal there is all his," Mako gave a sheepish grin. "Bring that over to the back when you two are finished talking," he began his way to the back of the house where he kept the large game. "And, Korra," he turned his head toward his daughter, "you've got yourself a good young man." With a wink, he turned his head forward and continued on.

A light tinge of pink made its way onto Korra's cheeks. She looked up at her firebender boyfriend and spoke once her father was out of earshot. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," Mako leaned down to Korra's level, brushing his lips against hers, "I just managed to get on your father's good side and not get murdered in the process."

* * *

And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed. Like I said above, a lot of Mako/Korra one-on-one will be coming soon. I just needed to get these other ideas out of my head before I began working on those. Just a reminder for if you spot any errors, please bring them to my attention in a review or PM, and I'll get to fixing it as soon as possible. I hope you all enjoyed. Don't be shy to leave a review, either, newcomers and longtime lurkers! Remember, I'm open for prompts! If you have any, shoot me a PM or mention it in a review! Hope you all enjoyed.


	8. Sparring

Here is another short little oneshot I worked on, somehow, while playing Skyrim and being in an Xbox Live party with my friends. I did the best I could on it, the best you can while multitasking, so if any mistakes are caught, please point them out and I will fix them as soon as possible. Just a warning: I don't think I'm all that great with fight scenes, so let me know how I did! This was great practice, either way. I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Blasts of fire and streams of flames grazed the ground and flew through the air on the training grounds of Air Temple Island. The young man and woman causing the fires to erupt had made sure to steer clear of the airbending training gates as they sparred; Korra had filled Mako in on her failed attempt to pass through said gates as part of her training, only to burn them down in a fit of rage when she had given up. If that were to occur again by the hands of either benders, Tenzin's monk upbringing would be torn to shreds. "That's a two-thousand year old historical relic," Korra had informed Mako when he had asked what was so special about it, mimicking Tenzin's tone, "If one of us were to as much as put a scratch on that thing, I'm pretty sure he would have some sort of tough punishment set out for us." Mako had arched a brow, wondering how someone as calm as Tenzin could carry out such a thing, but, in a sense, he could see it.

Korra threw a punch of fire straight for Mako, which he easily dodged, retaliating with his own punch of fire aimed for Korra's torso. Making an X with her arms, the flames brushed past her, extinguishing through the air. With a smile of satisfaction, she sprinted toward the pro-bending captain and jumped through the air, giving two spin kicks both with blasts of fire. Mako easily bended the fire that was barreling toward him, and, bringing his arms back, he forcibly thrust them out in front if himself, creating a large fire blast headed straight for the Avatar. With a swift throw of her arms out to the sides, the fire blast parted and faded away, leaving only small traces of fire on the pavement beneath them.

"Come on, City Boy," Korra grinned, waiting for her boyfriend's next attack, "is that all you've got?"

Mako glared at her words and darted toward her; both of his hands now balled into fists. Bringing one arm back for a punch, Mako began charging the intensity of his next attack. Korra smirked at his actions and stomped her heel into the ground. Within seconds, Mako was propelled upward by a large rock that had formed beneath him. He fell to the ground a few feet away from where he had been launched with a thud.

"Korra! I thought we agreed this would be a fire-only match!" He let out a groan, rubbing a spot on the back of his head. He winced in pain as his hands ran over a small lump that began to form.

"You know for a fact that rules and I don't mesh well," Korra grinned at him from where she was standing, "Get up and let's finish this!" Without warning, she kicked at the ground in an arc like motion, creating a fire arc hurling for Mako. The attack forced him onto his feet - barely missing the fire - and into a defensive stance. He sent out various punches and kicks of fire toward the young Avatar, to which she easily extinguished or dodged as she ran toward him. Expecting her to do another close range attack on him, he gritted his teeth, putting his arms up in the same X formation she had displayed earlier, only to be left surprised when she pounced him, knocking him back on the ground once more. His head sure was taking quite a beating, today.

"Looks like I win," she grinned.

He glared up at her, despite the fact that his arms were now wrapping around her waist. "No. You cheated, meaning, technically, I'm the winner by default."

"That's how you want to win? By default?" she laughed and he threw his head back onto the pavement with an unamused expression. "And, like I said, you know rules and I don't mesh very well together. You just don't want to face the fact that you were taken down by a girl," Korra took his face in her hands, lifting his head up just enough to press her lips to his, "Again."

"Don't remind me," Mako scowled just before going in for another kiss.

* * *

As always, any errors that I may have missed can be pointed out to me in either a review or a PM, and I will get to fixing them ASAP. I am working on another longer oneshot, so hopefully I will have that finished soon so I can have it up for you all. In the meantime, I hope you all were satisfied with this. If not, well, that's alright, too. I am now slowly running out of ideas, by the way, so I urge you all to give me some ideas! I, of course, will credit the idea to you when the oneshot is posted, if I pick yours. I appreciate all of your reviews, and being put on your story alerts (yes, I'm talking to you, lurkers!), and I hope everyone enjoyed.


	9. First Date

This specific oneshot was a pain to write. It was written over the course of a few days, and I wasn't quite happy with it when I first finished it, resulting in me rewriting many parts until I felt satisfied. I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it or not at this point, but I've done all I could do, and I wasn't going to trash it and rewrite the entire thing. That would have taken up way too much time. Either way, I hope you all can enjoy what I've managed, here! It's finally some nice, long, fluffy goodness, which I know a lot of you wanted. So, again, enjoy!

* * *

Korra let out a groan. She had been fiddling with her hair for the past ten minutes, debating on whether or not to leave it up in its usual fashion, or let it flow freely around her shoulders and down her back. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, jumping ever so slightly when she heard a knock on the door to her room. She took one last look at herself, deciding to just leave her hair down, and made her way for the door.

Mako had asked her out on their first official date earlier that day in a rather awkward fashion. He had been wandered over to the training grounds on the island and watched her for a bit. The way she was able to go through the movements with such ease left him with a smile. He had chuckled a few times when she had bent to harshly, resulting in a scolding from Jinora about how airbending was supposed to be fluid and used with ease. Korra had looked down at the young girl with a pout and a shrug, saying she was done for the day. That was when Mako figured it best to ask her.

"Hi Mako!" Ikki had grinned when she caught sight of the firebender making his way toward the three girls.

Mako had nodded at the girl with a smile and came to a stop, standing in front of Korra. She had crossed her arms and looked up at him; one eyebrow raised in question. "What's up, City Boy?"

"I, uh," his weight had shifted from leg to leg out of anxiety, "was wondering if you wanted to, um, go out tonight?"

"How adorable!" Jinora sighed, "He's asking you out on a date!"

"Oh, how cute!" Ikki squealed, jumping up and clapping her hands in excitement. "Say yes, Korra, say yes!"

The Avatar's cheeks felt as though they had been lit on fire, nonetheless, she smirked at the firebender before her. He had his hand on the back of his neck with his head turned to the side, a faint blush on his own cheeks. "Are they telling the truth, City Boy?" she teased, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Um," Mako felt as though the blush he knew he had began to cover his entire face. "Yes?" He caught sight of Korra's smirk and risen brow. "I mean, yes! Yes, I am asking you on a date..."

Korra had let her boyfriend stand awkwardly for a moment; the way he acted out of embarrassment was both very cute and very amusing to watch. "Took you long enough," she finally said, "Yes, Mako, I will go out with you tonight."

Ikki and Jinora both grinned at Korra's answer, further embarrassing Mako; why did he have to pick a time to ask Korra when he _knew _there would be an audience? "G-great! I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Pick me up? What are you going to do, carry me on your back?" The two airbending girls laughed at Korra's words, only flustering the firebender further.

"I was actually wondering if I could borrow Naga?"

Korra and the girls had laughed at Mako's question, to which he clenched his jaw and averted his eyes to the side.

Now, Korra was sliding the door to her room open, revealing the usually brooding firebender who was wearing a smile and carrying a bouquet of Fire Lilies. His gaze was off to the side, most likely out of nervousness, only moving to the girl before him when he heard the door slide open. He appeared to be out of his element. The question of how he had done all of this with Asami crossed her mind, however, she ignored it.

"Um, hi," his voice was nearly a whisper. He held the flowers out in front of him. "These are for you."

"You seriously went out to the city just to buy these?" She asked, taking the bouquet in her hands.

"No," he turned his head away, "Pema took me to the garden on the island and told me to pick out any variety of flowers I wanted. I made the bouquet with some help from her and the other women on the island."

Bringing the flowers up to her nose, Korra inhaled the scent from the famously beautiful lilies. "Why just these, though? The garden has more flowers than just Fire Lilies."

Mako shifted his weight nervously, still refusing to meet her gaze. "They're beautiful... Just like you..."

Korra furrowed her brows, and, for a moment, Mako thought she was going to give him the typical reaction you would read in books, see in movies, or hear on the radio when men complimented women. Instead, he got laughter.

Wait.

_Laughter_?

"Why are you laughing?" His voice rose slightly to make sure she would hear him over her laughter.

"That is just so cheesy!" She somehow managed between laughs. She noticed Mako was glaring at her, now. Oh, she definitely killed whatever type of mood he was aiming to set. "You have to promise me that you won't tell me anything that cheesy ever again. It just sounds so stupid!"

"No more compliments for the Avatar - got it," Mako mumbled, "If you're done laughing, we should go. I don't want to waste any time for what I have planned."

Korra's laughter began to die down at his words. She still chuckled here and there when she agreed with him, telling him to give her a minute to borrow a vase from Pema for her flowers that were _as beautiful as herself_. His glare had deepened at her words, only causing Korra's laughter to return intensely. Why couldn't she just act like a girl for once? Her swooning over his compliment wouldn't have been so bad. Being met with laughter was just something he didn't expect any girl to do in that situation.

"Alright, Cool Guy," Korra playfully poked at his side as the two made their way out of the girls' dormitories, "what do you have planned?"

"You'll see," he jumped up and onto Naga's saddle. He held his hand out to assist Korra, which earned him a scowl that screamed _I don't need help getting on my own polar bear dog_, however, she complied, grabbing his hand and being pulled her up to sit behind him. Placing his feet in the stirrups, Mako took hold of the reins and ordered Naga to go. As they reached the edge of the island, Mako gave Naga the go-ahead to submerge into the water while Korra was sure to bend a bubble around them as they ventured through Yue Bay. When the three finally emerged, Mako began to guide Naga down a street Korra wasn't familiar with.

"Look at you," she spoke with a smile, "The city boy knows how to navigate a polar bear dog. I'm impressed." Her arms wrapped around his waist as she glanced around at their surroundings. The street they had turned down wasn't quite in the lower class district, nor was it in the higher class district. Many different shops inhabited the street, which was still buzzing with passersby, customers, and workers who were on break. Korra had barely noticed when Naga had come to a stop beside a curb. Mako had hopped off of the polar bear dog and held his hand out once more for Korra to take. She grasped it, allowing his help once more, and hopped off of Naga and onto the sidewalk. She gazed up at the building before them, reading the semk-lit sign that read _Nie Lee's Ice Cream_.

"I used to bring Bolin here when we were younger," Mako was gazing up at the sign, as well, "It was something I'd treat him to when I had saved enough money up. I'd aim to bring him here at least once every month because I knew how much he loved it. When I'd tell him I was taking him to the ice cream shop, his face would light up with this _huge_ smile," Mako smiled at the memories and Korra realized how much this small shop must have meant to him. "I hope this is okay. I know it isn't dinner or anything fancy, but-"

"It's great," Korra took hold of Mako's arm with a smile of her own, "This place must mean a lot to you, so for you to share it with me means a lot to _me_."

Mako's smile widened at her words, and the two made their way into the small shop.

...

Mako had led Korra through a side street he knew of which came out at a smaller park within Republic City after grabbing their ice cream - Mako had chosen ash banana flavor, while Korra, who had taken_ forever_ to decide, settled on the moon peach flavor - with Naga striding closely behind them. The three settled in an open area of the small park, with Mako and Korra resting against Naga as they ate their ice cream. Korra had found it rather funny to push Mako's hand with just the right amount of force as he went to take another lick, resulting in the cool treat leaving behind parts of itself on his nose, mouth, and chin. He had scowled and she has laughed, scooping a bit of the ice cream from his nose onto her finger and tasting it. Naga had licked the remainder off of Mako's face, earning a grin from her owner and an unamused look from the firebender.

"I know you said no compliments," Mako draped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders after finishing off the last bit of his ice cream cone, "but you really are beautiful - especially with your hair down. You should wear it like that more often."

Korra wished she still had her ice cream when she felt her face heat up. She popped the remaining bit of the waffle cone into her mouth and crunched on it. Her eyes refused to meet Mako's as she whispered a faint, "T-thanks," in reply. How could Korra - the Avatar; the strong, hot-headed teenager - seem to melt at anything this guy said or did? "You're not half-bad yourself, Mr. Hat Trick."

Mako chuckled before realizing what his girlfriend had just said; his face dropping. "Gee, thanks," he muttered. Pulling her close, he buried his face in her hair and smiled, "I love you."

Korra's face seemed to become hotter at his words. She still wasn't used to those words coming from him. "I love you and your cheesy self, too."

"I thought girls like being told stuff like that," he pulled away just enough to look at her, "Honest!"

"Maybe most girls," Korra replied, "but not me. Then again, I'm not your typical girl, remember?"

Mako smirked and gave a shrug, resulting in Korra playfully punching his side. He removed his arm from around her shoulders and stood up. "We should head back. I told Tenzin I would have you back by eight-thirty, but there is one more place I want to stop at beforehand."

Korra stared up at Mako in question. "You had to clear this entire thing with Tenzin?"

"Mhm," Mako replied. He patted Naga, signaling her to stand. "I knew he would freak if he noticed both you and I were gone, so I figured I'd let him know what I was doing."

"So he gave you a specific time to have me back?" she asked, standing, as well, and making her way up and on the back of Naga's saddle. "And he only gave us an hour-and-a-half, at that?"

Mako hoisted himself on Naga's saddle with a grunt and took her reins. "You know firsthand how strict he is. He didn't want us out all night, I guess," he gave the reins a flick and Naga began moving, taking the two out of the park and onto the main streets of the bright city. Korra couldn't contain her grin when she caught sight of the pro-bending arena, lit up just like it used to be. The damage had been repaired shortly after Amon's defeat, meaning the new pro-bending season would start up again, soon.

"I'm glad they were able to repair the damage on the arena as quickly as they did," she hugged herself closer to Mako as they strode through the streets. The building appeared to get bigger as they moved closer and closer toward it, and Korra realized it was there that he was stopping at.

"That's what I wanted to show you," Mako smiled. He had Naga stop just in front of the entrance, and the couple hopped off. Mako took his girlfriend's hand in his own the two walked through the entrance doors. They climbed the familiar stairs and walked through the door that led to the preparation area for the teams.

"Wow," Korra walked toward the railing, taking in the work that had been done on the arena. "It's almost as if there had never been any sort of destruction done of the place. They sure did some great work in just a few months," her eyes gleamed, taking in the reconstruction work. She leaned forward for a better view.

"If you weren't so engrossed in your airending training, I would have brought you here sooner," he had made his way over to her as he spoke, coming to stand beside the Avatar. Said Avatar punched his arm lightly, earning an _Ow_ from the firebender to which she smiled. They remained silent for a moment, taking in the sight before them; both eager for the beginning of the new pro-bending season. They had soon found themselves wandering the arena - taking stops in the training room, walking among the newly finished playing field, and finally the familiar attic. It was rather bare, missing the belongings Mako and Bolin once had within.

Korra had made her way to the window overlooking the bay and the view of Air Temple Island. She glanced back over her shoulder at the firebender who was standing in the center of the room with his hands in his pockets giving a glance here and a gaze there, until he caught her looking at him. She smiled, "So I guess this means you and Bo get this place back?"

Mako nodded. "Yeah," his head tilted upward as he gazed at the ceiling, "Tenzin had made a few calls and found an apartment that was just in our price range, but Toza had bumped into me when I was headed back from work. He said Bolin and I were still welcome back, so long as we keep up on rent. I had a talk with Bo about it, and we both agreed to come back here. For now, at least." A soft smile tugged on the corners of his lips. "As stupid as it sounds, this place is our home. We decided we would move into an actual apartment once I had a stable income at the power plant to support ourselves."

Korra's smile had widened at his words. Despite the faint feeling of sadness of her boyfriend's and his brother's departure from Air Temple Island, she was as elated as Mako at the fact that they would be returning to the place they could call home. "It doesn't sound stupid. The arena just wouldn't feel the same without two of the Fire Ferrets shacked up in the attic."

He rolled his eyes at her words, letting out a laugh nonetheless. He joined his girlfriend at the window and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You're damn right it wouldn't!" he winked. "I'm just sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Hey, too engrossed in airbending training, remember? So don't worry about it."

The two of them remained there - watching the water move slowly, with the occasional wave crashing against the rocks that surrounded Air Temple Island - for a while. Mako had figured it was nearing the time Tenzin expected them back, though he wished there was a clock he and his brother may have left by mistake still lying around so he could be certain. His arm left Korra's waist and returned to his side. "We should head back. I don't need Tenzin blowing a fuse."

She agreed reluctantly, wishing Tenzin hadn't given them such a short amount of time, or, better yet, no set time to be back at all. If she could, she would stay out all night with Mako, just roaming the city and seeing the nightlife; letting him show her whatever spots he knew in the city. However, she knew there would be many more dates to come, and she would spend as much time as she could with both him and his brother before they moved back to the arena.

The two of them climbed the ladder down and out of the attic, and made their way for the front doors of the arena. Korra had poked fun at Mako the best she could with jokes, teasing, and poking at his sides, finding the ticklish spots that caused him to jump and squirm away from her. He had captured her hand in his own when he saw her ready herself for another jab at his side. They walked hand-in-hand for half of the walk, with the other half having Korra instead holding on to his arm with both of her hands, slightly leaning against his body as they walked. The gesture was reminiscent to the same one she had performed when the two of them infiltrated Amon's rally in search of Bolin. Mako hadn't thought much of it at the time, but, now that she was doing it again, this time with different intentions, he realized how clever she was being that night.

He helped her onto Naga, this time with her actually holding her hand out for assistance before he was able to even offer his help. He had felt Korra's arms around her waist as he gave a flick of his wrists, tugging on the reins ever so slightly, giving Naga the go ahead. She had taken off from the arena and began the path for the harbor where they had arrived. The ride was in silence; the only sounds heard being the normal sounds of the city, Naga's paws hitting the ground with each movement, and their steady breathing. Korra had hugged her body close to Mako's sometime during the short ride, resting her chin on his shoulder, to which he smiled. She was beginning to become more and more comfortable with being close to Mako, with each bout of confidence leading to small gestures like this.

They had returned to the island the same way they had left. Mako, of course, helped Korra off of Naga and walked her back to her room hand-in-hand. They took a stroll around the island beforehand, with Mako figuring he could get past their curfew as long as they were on the island. When the two had finally arrived at her room, Korra slid the door open and walked inside. Mako had remained outside of the doorway and gave a small smile.

"I had fun tonight, Mako," she gave a smile, herself. She stood on the tips of her toes and pecked his lips. "We have to do this kind of thing more often."

He nodded in agreement and kissed her once more. It wasn't quick like the one she had just planted on his lips, but taken much slower and filled with emotion. "You can count on it," he winked as he pulled away. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"You can count on it," she grinned. "Now get back to your room before Tenzin finds you here and gets the wrong idea.

He chuckled at her words and kissed her one last time that night before turning on his heel and making his way out of the building. Korra slid her door shut and smiled to herself, gazing at the flowers he had brought her earlier that evening. Yes, this hadn't been your typical romance novel date, but it was the best possible for Korra, and that was truly all she needed.

* * *

Give me an honest opinion on this one. Trust me, I can handle it. Don't forget - if you have an idea or prompt for a oneshot, leave it in a review or a PM and I'll consider it! Reviews are always appreciated, even the crappy ones (yes, I'm talking to you, 'Guest' who recently reviewed the 8 chapters which were current with the day you reviewed).


	10. Breakfast

Th idea of Mako teaching Korra to cook was suggested by the great **Sour Queen **in a review back for the eighth oneshot, so, I thank her for that! Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

"Damn it!" Korra grumbled, grabbing the washcloth she kept to the side of her and cleaning the yolk from the counter for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. She had had the bright idea of cooking breakfast that morning while Mako remained asleep in the bed they shared. Honestly, how hard could cooking be? She had observed Mako cook on numerous occasions, and he made it look _so_ easy. Now she began to question why she decided to give this cooking thing a try in the first place. She couldn't even crack and egg open properly, for crying out loud! She had been over the stove - for at least ten minutes, mind you - breaking egg after egg open when she attempted to just _crac_k the shell and spill the contents into the pan. Only four of the dozen eggs remained in the carton while the shells of the other ten lay atop the garbage can in the corner. Grabbing another egg from the carton, Korra positioned it over the pan and carefully brought it down to the edge. The egg cracked slightly, much to Korra's delight, and she brought it down to the edge once more. The crack spread and the egg burst open, spilling the yolk both in the pan and on the counter. "Ugh! Really?" she groaned, tossing the broken bits of egg shell into the trash.

"Jeez, what did you do to the eggs?" The familiar voice startled Korra, causing her to jump. She turned toward the entrance of the kitchen, finding Mako leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face. Korra's mouth opened, taking in a breath as if to say something, however, she couldn't find anything to say and decided on a scowl, instead. Mako grinned, pushing himself off of the wall and making his way over to his girlfriend. He began to examine the mess she had created while he had been asleep; the pan, stove, and counter were coated in yolk which she was currently scrubbing away at. The washcloth she was using was stained yellow and he wondered why she hadn't thrown that one in the laundry pile and grabbed another instead of pushing the mess around. "What are you doing?" He finally asked.

With an annoyed groan, Korra balled up the soiled washcloth and threw it into the sink. "I was trying to make breakfast," she answered.

"I can see that," he grinned down at her annoyed expression; his hands moving to her shoulders. "I meant with the cleaning of the yolk. You're pretty much just pushing and spreading it around. Here," he moved over to the other side of the stove and opened a drawer, taking out a clean washcloth. He closed the drawer, walked toward the sink, and turned on the faucet. The water ran over the washcloth and, when satisfied, Mako turned the faucet off and rung the water out of the washcloth. He came back to where Korra was, stood beside her, and began cleaning up the mess.

"How long have you been up?" She asked, her eyes following her boyfriend as he ran the washcloth through the pan, picking up the yolk that had spilled inside.

"Not long. I got up when I heard you cursing and complaining to yourself," he sat the pan back down on the stove and went back to the sink to clean the two washcloths. "I figured I'd better come see what had you in such a fit. Now I know," he shot a grin to the pouting girl.

"I was just trying to do something nice for you," Korra grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. She watched as Mako made his way back to her. He grabbed an egg out of the carton and held it in front of his face.

"This," he moved the egg over the countertop, "is how you crack an egg open." Mako tapped the egg on the counter, giving it a crack along the side. He moved the egg over the pan and placed both of his thumbs over the crack. Pushing down on the crack, Mako created a dent in the shell and pulled it apart, splitting the shell in two and ultimately emptying the egg's contents into the pan. "See? Simple."

Korra stared at the egg which was bow sizzling inside of the pan. She knitted her brows together. "Simple? Then what in the hell was I doing wrong?"

"Well, for starters - never attempt to break an egg open over the edge of the pan. That will reduce the likelihood of bits of the shell mixing in with the egg in the pan," he explained. "You were most likely hitting the egg instead of tapping it, judging by the mess you made."

"Alright, _Chef _Mako," she teasingly smirked, "teach me in the art of cooking."

Mako gave a mock bow. "Of course, pupil." He glanced at the knobs on the stove and nodded. "You have the temperature right, surprisingly. Now - grab an egg."

"What?"

"You heard me. Grab an egg and break it over the pan."

Korra glanced at the carton which now held three eggs. If she messed this up, neither one of them would have a full breakfast. She sighed and took an egg in her hand, positioning it over the countertop. Looking up at Mako, Korra received a reassuring nod. She brought the egg down toward the counter and tapped it - just as Mako had shown her - successfully cracking it slightly. Her hands moved to rest above the pan. She mimicked Mako's moves; placing her thumbs over the crack and pushing down. The shell began to break open, and Korra pulled it apart, emptying the contents into the pan.

"Again - see how simple it is when you don't use so much force?" Mako grinned and Korra scowled up at him. "Now let's see you cook them."

Korra cocked a brow up at the firebender. She could do this. How hard could cooking two measly eggs be? She grabbed the spatula from the drawer beside her and separated the two eggs to prevent them from cooking into one. Mako nodded approvingly, watching her work, until she went to put the spatula under one of the eggs to flip it.

"No, no, no!" he stopped her dead in her tracks. "You need to wait until the egg cooks a bit - four minutes, at the most - before you flip it!"

Korra felt her boyfriend's hand wrap around her wrist. She watched him guide her hand to move the spatula underneath the egg Mako had placed in the pan earlier. "See how this one is white around the edges?" his hand guided her own to pick the egg up onto the spatula. With one swift motion, he aided Korra in flipping the egg over into the pan. "That's how you know when to flip it. That one there," his eyes motioned to the egg she had placed in the pan, "is ready to be flipped, now. Go ahead and give it a try." Mako removed his grip on Korra's wrist and stepped back a bit to observe her. She moved the spatula underneath the egg with ease, lifting it up from the pan and flipping it over a bit sloppily. The egg sizzled in the pan beside the other, earning a nod from Mako.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now you wait at least another three minutes or until you feel that the eggs are ready. Do you think they're ready?"

Korra watched the eggs sizzle in the pan. The egg she had just flipped clearly wasn't ready yet, however, the egg Mako had assisted her in flipping had the appearance of the eggs he had served for breakfast before. "That one is," she pointed to the egg. "The one I just flipped isn't."

"Good," he smiled, grabbing a plate from the cupboard. He handed the plate over to his girlfriend, watching her as she took it in her free hand and moved the finished egg from the pan to the plate with the other. The two waited a few minutes as the other egg cooked, and, when she felt it was done, Korra repeated the same action she had with the previous egg; moving it from the pan to the plate.

"Look at that," Mako grinned. "The almighty Avatar learned how to cook eggs today."

Korra set the plate and spatula down on the counter and mimicked the bow Mako had given her before her lesson. "I couldn't have done it without you, Chef," she teased, grabbing another egg from the carton and breaking it over the pan.

...

It had taken some effort, but Mako guided Korra in preparing their breakfast of eggs over fried rice. The two sat across from each other at their small dining table, each with their own plate of food set out before them on the tabletop. Korra watched eagerly as Mako mixed his eggs and rice together with his set of chopsticks. He took a bite of the meal his girlfriend had prepared and sat back in his chair.

"Not bad."

"What's it take to impress you?"

"What? I said not bad," he gave a teasing grin. "Taste it for yourself."

Korra did just as he suggested. Taking a bit in between her chopsticks, she plopped the food into her mouth. "Hey, you are right," she swallowed before continuing, "This isn't bad for my first time cooking. I think I did pretty good!"

"You wouldn't have gotten anywhere without my help," Mako said in between bites. "I'm lucky you didn't manage to burn down the apartment building while I was sleeping!"

"Right," she rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the help, Mako."

"That's _Chef _Mako to you."

"_Right_, I forgot. My apologies, _Chef_."

He grinned at her scowl, letting out a laugh when it turned into a glare. "Like I said, Korra, at least you didn't burn down the building. I would've thought you would have attempted to start the stove with firebending."

She threw one of her chopsticks at his head, only getting more laughter from him. "I'm not stupid, Mako! I know how to start a stove."

"I know, I know. It's a joke!" his laughter began to die down. "Just - next time you want to cook - come ask me. We need more eggs because of you, now."

"You got it, Chef."

* * *

Wasn't really sure on how to end this one, so I settled for the last line, there. Fun fact! I, myself, can't cook unless it consists of using the microwave and/or the oven to heat already prepared meals, so I had to look up how to cook eggs for this oneshot, bahaha. Sad, I know, especially since I'm nearing the age of 17 this year. Maybe I'll ask my mom or grandpa one of these days to teach me... Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed! Leave a review - I read and reply to each one left! And, if you are willing, leave me a prompt or an idea in a review or a PM! Thanks for reading!


	11. Mornings

Here is something I wrote after finishing _another _oneshot. I wasn't happy with the one I finished, but that is a completely different story for another time. Enjoy this one, though! It, surprisingly, took a while to write.

* * *

Mako's favorite part of the day was - and always would be - mornings. Mornings were the times he was able to be the closest with his girlfriend. Sure, they had other parts of the day where they could spend time together and goof around, but with Korra's avatar duties, mixed with her airbending training, Mako's job at the power plant, and the Fire Ferrets readying for the upcoming season, it was difficult to do much of anything as a couple. They somehow managed a date ever so often, and, of course, Korra would sneak away from training for a moment when Mako would be let off of his shift at the plant early and stop by the island. They had often concealed themselves in the trees neighboring the training area of the island, where the two would rest against a tree trunk, either starting up conversation, or just being content with each other's company. When they were really daring, the couple would make a break for the beach by the dock. Few times were they caught, whether it was by Tenzin himself, one of his three older children, or Bolin. Bolin, of course, never ratted the two out. He would simply stammer out sorries if he had caught them in a compromising position, running the other way with a hand over his eyes; while the times he found them simply talking or walking along the beach, he would give a smile, a wink, and _a your secret is safe with me! _before running off. Ikki and Jinora, sadly, were different. The two airbenders were the ones who often found Mako and Korra resting against a tree trunk in each other's arms, commenting on how adorable they were, flustering the two and forcing them away from each other with red faces. Tenzin, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit amused when he had gone looking for Korra and instead found her playing hooky with her boyfriend, forcing the two to part until Korra's training was done for the day, which he gladly extended as punishment.

Mako had been elated when Korra had accepted his offer to move in with him. Though it had taken much convincing, Tenzin reluctantly allowed her to move into her boyfriend's newly acquired apartment which he shared with his younger brother. Pema had assisted in convincing her husband, stating that Korra was no longer a child and was old enough to make and carry out her own decisions as she saw fit. Korra hadn't brought much with her, other than the clothes on her back, other articles of clothing and various items she had bought during her time in Republic City, as well as Naga. Mako and Bolin had made sure to pick a pet friendly apartment building due to Pabu, even so, when the manager caught sight of a _polar bear dog _entering the building, he had made a fuss. The three had _somehow _persuaded the manager into allowing the large animal access to her new home, and, with much effort, they managed to get Naga through the door and into the brothers' apartment. Mako insisted Korra at least keep her outside of the building so she wouldn't be cramped in the small, two bedroom apartment, and so Korra wouldn't have to struggle with getting her through the door every day. Korra had given her boyfriend her signature pout, stating that Naga would stay put for at least the first few days to allow her to settle in to her new home. Bolin had nodded in agreement with his friend, grinning that Pabu and Naga would keep each other busy in the apartment, and that the two could sleep in the living room until Korra found somewhere comfortable for the polar bear dog to be kept. Ultimately, Korra made a negotiation with the apartment manager to allow Naga to be kept in the grassy area beside his building. It was out of the large animal's element; however, she was content under the shade of a blossoming tree, knowing she was still located close to her owner.

The first night of Korra's arrival proved to be rather awkward for both her and her firebender boyfriend. She had lingered in the living room while Mako had showered and brushed his teeth, unaware of what to do after he was finished. She had to take a shower, herself, but the sheer thought of knowing that - after she finished her shower - she would have to make her way into _his_ bedroom and sleep _next_ to him in _his_ bed actually put a bit of anxiety into the Avatar's veins. When she finally got her turn to shower, she had prolonged it as much as possible, getting out when she remembered that the last thing the brothers' needed was an extensively high water bill. The task of brushing her teeth was allowed to be as long as she could possibly stand, due to her turning the faucet water off. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she scrubbed away at her teeth, finally coming to terms with the fact that there was no escaping sharing a bed with her boyfriend. She knew for a fact Mako would never allow her to sleep on the couch in the front room, nor would he allow her to sleep against Naga. She was _living_ with him, now, meaning she would _eventually _have to get used to sharing a bed, so why not start now?

When she finally - rather awkwardly - crawled into the empty side of the bed, her heart began to pulsate in her ears and her body had gone stiff. She refused to even so much as glance at Mako, who was actually feeling the same way as her. He never imagined that sharing a bed with your significant other would be this difficult. He lay stiff as a board on his back, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do. From what he had read in novels and seen in silent films, couples typically slept closely to one another; with the woman resting her head on the man's chest with her arms wrapped around his midsection and the man's arm wrapped around the woman's waist, or with the two on their sides, with the man wrapping his arm around the woman's waist and pulling her close to his body. Was that what he was supposed to do? Was that what Korra _wanted_ him to do? He allowed himself a glance at the Avatar lying beside him; she had moved onto her side sometime during the ordeal that took place within his head. Was that some kind of signal, or was that just how she slept? _Spirits,_ he stared at the ceiling, _What do I do?_

Korra had finally gotten comfortable enough to close her eyes and attempt to get some sleep. That was until she felt something around her waist. Her eyes shot open and her pulse escalated once more. Soon enough, she felt Mako's body slowly inch toward her back, stopping just short enough for her to feel the heat radiate from him.

Mako's eyes moved frantically; from her hair, to the wall in front of him, to the pillow he rested his head upon. He hoped that he wasn't doing something Korra didn't want him to. Yes, they had held each other close on numerous occasions, yet, somehow, adding a bed and sleep into the mix complicated things.

He was surprised when Korra shifted to move closer to him, pressing her back fully against his chest. Taking that as some sort of signal, his arm at her waist drew her as close to him as possible. He felt his face heat up at the sudden action, and asked, "Is-is this okay?"

Korra inhaled deeply, hoping that would calm her racing heart and somehow eliminate the shade of red she knew covered her face. "It's... nice."

It had taken some time, but the two finally relaxed and eventually fell asleep for the night.

That following morning, Mako had been the first to awake. Feeling a weight against his chest, Mako was a bit confused in his morning haze. He glanced down, seeing that familiar face resting peacefully against him. The two of them must have moved from the position they had fallen asleep in, to this one; Korra rested her head against her boyfriend's chest with her arms wrapped around his midsection, while Mako's arm was wrapped around his girlfriend's waist.

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of his yawning. With a groan, she turned her head to the opposite side and snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes once more. "This isn't a bad way to wake up," she smiled.

"No," Mako responded, moving his free hand to her chin and tilting her head toward his, "It isn't." And he kissed her.

From that moment on, the couple awoke the following days in each other's arms. It was during the first morning that Mako decided mornings were his favorite part of the day.

* * *

Just a quick reminder: if you have ANY prompts/ideas, please do not hesitate to include them in a review or a private message! My creative spark is shot, thus, my ideas have dwindled down. I may come up with an idea here and there, but I can't say when, meaning my usually quick updates will turn into lengthy updates, and that isn't fun! So, again, if you have any idea/prompts, let me know! I'd really appreciate it! As always, any grammatical errors or spelling errors I may have missed during the editing process that are spotted, please point them out so I may fix them ASAP. If you're wondering why there are mistakes at times, I write in an app on my iPod since I'm mostly on the go. It helps me to keep the ideas flowing when I'm out and about, so I can write wherever I am. From there, I import that document into my computer, and edit in the Mac program _Pages. _For whatever reason, Apple didn't put a grammar check in that program, so I learned to edit on my PC in Word. Works out better, that way. Anyways! Reviews are always appreciated, so don't hesitate to leave one! I read and reply to each one. :) Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed!


	12. Meditation

I am not satisfied with this one... Just because they seem, out of character to me? I'm not sure. I figured I'd post it anyway. You guys seem to enjoy most of what I throw out to you, which I am thankful for, but do not deserve, haha. Let me know what you think!

* * *

Mornings on Air Temple Island were always peaceful. It was a nice change from the loud noises and bright lights of the big city that never seemed to take a break. Mako had made it a habit to take strolls around the island whenever possible after moving there. The calming nature of the island itself and the friendly Air Acolytes helped to clear his mind and calm his body when he was under stress. He often stopped at the meditation pavilion when it was empty, taking a short break from his walk to relax in the area and overlook the waves of the bay. Today, as he approached the pavilion, he decided to keep on walking when he caught sight of a young woman meditating. It wasn't until further examination that Mako realized the young woman wasn't wearing the clothing the Air Acolytes wore; instead, she donned a familiar watertribe getup. His eyebrow went up in question as he made way toward the pavilion. Sure enough, he discovered the meditating young woman to be Korra, which only confused him further. She wasn't one to be up this early.

Mako wasn't entirely sure what to do. Korra seemed to be very deep in concentration and he didn't wish to disturb her. Then again, he wanted to know what she was doing up so early. Tenzin never had her start training until the early afternoon.

"I know you're there, City Boy."

Mako caught the slight opening of an eye and the small smirk on Korra's features. His brows furrowed. "How did you-"

"You weren't exactly quiet when you made your way up here," she shrugged her shoulders. "The Air Acolytes know not to interrupt someone when they are in the middle of meditating. Plus, I know better than to assume it would have been Bolin. He's never up this early."

"Oh. Sorry." Mako shot a glance down to his feet as if to silently blame them for his loudness. His eyes went back to Korra, and he took notice that the one eye she had open was now closed and her smirk had faded away. "I didn't mean to break your concentration. I'll go back-"

"Concentration? I may be able to airbend, now, but that didn't grant me the power of concentration," she interrupted once more. "Now sit down."

He blinked. "Sit down? Why?"

"Take a break from your walk for a minute. You're going to meditate with me."

Mako stared down at his girlfriend in confusion. Meditate? With her? He hadn't the slightest clue on how to meditate! Sure, it looked easy. What could be hard about sitting still and breathing in and out? It was the concentration part that had him. How could he possibly concentrate when, one, his stomach was growling with hunger; and two, Korra was sitting beside him? The two were still in that 'lovey-dovey' stage of their relationship; however, it wasn't your typical one. This stage had come nearly a month or so after the initial relationship started. After they got over their awkwardness, they couldn't keep away from each other. Sweet nothings weren't whispered into each other's ears but on rare occasions. Instead, they settled on cuddling and kisses. Meditating with Korra would prove a difficult task for Mako. Nonetheless, he did as he was told, lowering him to the floor and taking the same position as his girlfriend. He awkwardly put his fists together, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Was he even doing this right? How was he supposed to even _know_?

"Why are you out here so early, anyway?" Mako's voice was faint.

"You do know you have to be quiet during meditation, right?" Korra smirked.

Gosh, he was horrible at this. "Oh! Right, right! Sorry."

"Straighten your back."

His eyes shot open at her words. He glanced at her, finding her eyes were still closed. _How did she...?_ His back straightened and he allowed his eyes to flutter shut once more. His breathing went slow and deep, allowing his mind to wander. What exactly was he supposed to do during meditation, again? He remembered hearing something about letting _something _wander. Was it your mind? In that case, he was on the right track. If not... Well, he wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do. He shifted around here and there, obviously not deep in concentration like he should have been. Man, this was difficult!

"You need to clear your mind, Mako," Korra spoke. "Let your spirit wader, not your mind. Don't focus on doing anything because there is nothing _to_do."

"When did you become a master at this?"

"When Tenzin explained it to me." He could practically hear that cocky smirk of hers in her voice. "Now shut up and meditate."

"Bossy," he muttered. He did as he was told, beginning his deep breathing once more and clearing his mind to the best of his ability. The task that seemed _so_ simple seemed near impossible for the firebender. As soon as he was certain his mind was clear of any thoughts, they began to flood in as though a gate to where the thoughts were being contained was opened. _How do you let your spirit wander? How did I get sucked in to this in the first placed? Oh yeah. By Korra. That's how. She said to clear your mind, right? Crap! This isn't a clear mind. How the hell do you let your spirit wander?_

Mako's eyes fluttered open; this entire _clear your mind _thing just wasn't working out for him. His hands moved to rest on his knees and his eyes moved to the girl beside him. She was back in that deep state of concentration, or rather, lack-there-of, as she had pointed out earlier. He let out a long sigh before taking the Avatar off guard, grabbing her shoulders and falling onto his back.

"Mako!" Korra yelped. She turned around so in his hold to face him, placing her palms against his chest and pushing herself up. She glared down at the laughing firebender beneath her and punched his chest. "I told you to meditate! Which means not to interrupt me! Which means not to... do whatever you just did!" She punched him once more, this time, on his arm.

"Ow, ow!" his cries of pain were mixed in with his laughter. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back down to rest on his body. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not cut out for this meditation thing! That's more suited for airbenders, which I am not."

Mako's laughter rippled through his chest, vibrating against Korra's cheek. Though focused on his chin, her glare remained. "Doesn't mean you had to ruin my meditation, Cool Guy."

"You said yourself you didn't have any concentration, so that was no mediation" he scoffed, "Now shut up and lay here with me." His tone was joking, softening Korra's expression into a smirk.

"Bossy," she smiled, pushing her body up just enough to allow her access to a kiss.

* * *

Alright. Again, let me know what you think. Honest opinions only! No sugar coating, please. Also, be sure to check out my new Makorra stand-alone oneshot entitled _Officer of the Law_ which was written based on the information given to us at the LoK San Diego Comic-Con panel. How I wish I could have attended, haha! Reviews are always appreciated. I read and reply to each one, so don't be shy!


	13. Nightmares

This took longer than it shoulder have., but, hey! At least it's finished. I'll be working on requests now, so expect to see some pop up soon! Enjoy!

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It was nights like these that Mako hated the most.

It seemed to be a weekly occurrence; for at least one day out of the entire week, Mako would have a sleepless night. The nightmares sprung upon him on his best days, seemingly as if his mind didn't want him to be happy. He would get at least thirty minutes to an hour of sleep before the nightmares flooded his mind. Like clockwork, the nightmares hit, and his eyes would shoot open. He would be left out of breath and drenched in sweat to the point of him having to toss the covers off of him and strip his white wife-beater off of his body. For the remainder of the night, Mako would stare at the ceiling and try his best to get back to sleep. Of course, his attempts failed each time, leaving him to wander around the apartment he shared with his younger brother until the sun came up. Bolin would find him in the mornings either sitting on the sofa or at the small dining table. The younger of the two brothers would ask what was up, to which the older brother replied that he couldn't sleep. Bolin began to take notice of the weekly pattern, eventually giving up asking his brother questions. He knew all too well that Mako experienced nightmares; however, he had been under the impression that he had outgrown them thanks to the eldest of the two saying so. He now knew his brother's words were a lie, though Bolin knew Mako didn't like him to worry.

The routine Mako had grown accustomed to changed the day Korra moved in. The nightmares still occurred, of course, though he learned to stay in the bed he shared with the young woman; partly due to him not wishing to wake her, and partly due to how her presence seemed to calm him, even the slightest. Though true, the anxiety still remained, as did the insomnia the nightmares brought along. Korra would comment in the mornings that Mako looked as though he hadn't slept a wink, to which he replied that he was just overtired. Bolin knew the truth, of course, though he never said anything, figuring it best for his brother to tell his girlfriend when he was ready.

On this particular night, the nightmare Mako experienced was especially terrible. His mind had decided to drag out the memory of his parents' murder, playing it on a loop in the young man's mind. From there, it seemed to transform into both his brother and the sleeping girl beside him being taken from this world right before his eyes by some unknown individual.

He woke out of breath and drenched in sweat, prompting him to do what he always did - push the covers off of him and rip off his shirt. The cool night breeze blew across his bare chest, leaving him thankful for leaving the window open that night. His focused gaze moved to the young woman to his left. Her back was turned toward him, and the deep, steady movement of her side told him that he hadn't woken her. His erratic breathing seemed to calm.

Figuring contact would possibly help him get back to a semi-peaceful sleep, Mako carefully moved on to his side and inched closer to his girlfriend. The movement wasn't as careful as the firebender had assumed. Korra groaned, signaling her awakening, to which he continued his actions. His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her body close to his own.

Her voice was thick with sleep when she asked, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah, sorry," Mako replied, kissing the nape of her neck and burying his face in her hair. "Get some sleep."

He knew she was able to catch on when something was bothering him; it was something he admired the most about her. However, he didn't like to burden anyone - no matter who it was - with his problems. Unsurprisingly, he felt her hand come to rest on his own. She knew he was holding something back.

"Mako, are you okay?"

He inhaled deeply. Oh, she was good. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Please get some sleep."

Korra turned around in his hold to face him. His head remained in its position, only now it was against the front of her neck. He planted a kiss on the hollow of her throat.

"Lying to me is pretty useless, you know," she said, running her fingers through his black hair. "I know when something is bugging you. And something _is _bugging you."

Oh she was good. She was _good_.

"Am I that easy to read?" he murmured into the pillow they lay their heads on. He felt her nod and groaned.

"Sadly," she laughed. She continued running her hand through his hair while she moved the other to rest on his back. "That, and you're sweating pretty badly. So you either ran a few miles while I was sleeping-" Of course she could keep up her sarcastic comments when she knew he was down and out. "-or something is bugging you."

Mako had learned early on that lying to this girl was damn near impossible. If she suspected something, she wouldn't stop until she found the truth. He let out a sigh, moving to sit up in the bed. He leaned forward on his knees and stared at the wall in front of him. "Promise you won't laugh."

"I promise."

He took a moment to run a hand through his hair before speaking. "I - um - don't laugh!"

"I already promised I wouldn't!" Korra's hands shot up in front of her. "Just tell me what's got you in such a mood!"

"Fine, fine!" Mako let out a lengthy sigh, shooting the Avatar a sideways glance. "I-I... I had a nightmare." His words came out quicker than anticipated, leaving him to hope Korra had heard him; he definitely was _not_going to repeat that. His gaze moved back to the wall in front of him, refusing to look back at his girlfriend who was now sitting up beside him.

Korra brought her hand to rest on the firebender's shoulder. She eyed Mako's face and smirked. "That's what you were afraid of telling me? Mako," her other hand moved to his face, forcing him to look at her, "believe it or not, I get nightmares, myself."

"No," his tone was sarcastic and his eyes went wide in mock surprise. He jerked away from her touch and focused his gaze on the floor. "The _almighty _Avatar gets nightmares? You're kidding!"

She noticed his face fall once more. "This is why you look like you haven't slept in days in the mornings, isn't it, Mr. I'm-Just-Over-Tired?" She caught him nod slightly in reply. With a sigh, she kept on. "You wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head.

"Mako, you do realize no one can help you unless you _communicate_, right?"

"You're one to talk."

She scowled at her boyfriend, letting out an exasperated sigh. She wasn't the _best_ at comforting people. "Look, I know you can take care of yourself just fine; you proved that when you had to fend for both yourself _and _Bolin, but damn it, Mako! You need to learn to let others help you when you are in need of it! You can't _always_take care of yourself - sometimes you need a little bit of help from those willing to offer it."

He allowed himself a glance at the fuming girl. With that speech and all, Mako began to wonder if Tenzin had rubbed off on her. "Again - you're one to talk."

"I'm an exception," she grinned. "Now are you going to tell your _loving_-" she crawled behind the young man, embracing him from behind and resting her head on his chin as she spoke those words, "-girlfriend what's bugging you, or not?"

Mako felt his face contort in confusion at the sudden contact. While he would admit he enjoyed being close with Korra, he knew that the majority of the times she initiated contact, it was when she wanted something. It was only during rare occasions that she initiated the contact with her only intention being to be close with him. Nevertheless, he could feel his cheeks begin to burn with that all too familiar blush that never ceased to fail when she touched him like this. He could feel her steady breathing at his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Then a kiss on his cheek. She really knew how to work him. He swallowed and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to open up."

"If I do, will you stop torturing me?"

At his words, her arms left his waist and her chin left his shoulder. She moved back to her previous place beside him and grinned. "I wouldn't say it was torture, but whatever floats your boat. Talk, lover-boy."

Mako fell onto his back on the bed. He rubbed nervously at his forehead, staring at the ceiling and stealing glances from Korra. "I... I had a nightmare... Of my parents' murder."

The Avatar's lips formed an 'O' yet no sound came out. She knew that still haunted Mako, but she never imagined it was _this _bad. If he had told her sooner...

"And from there," his voice tore Korra away from her mind and back to reality, "it took a turn in the wrong direction. Instead of my parents being taken away from me, it was... It was you and Bo..."

"Mako..." She was at a loss for words. She looked at the young firebender, noticing his arms were thrown over his eyes and his legs dangled over the edge of the bed. Comforting people wasn't a strong point of hers; being sheltered from the outside world for most of her life didn't allow her to learn the proper communication skills needed when interacting with others aside from her family, teachers, or members of the Order of the White Lotus. When she _did _attempt at comforting others and giving advice, Korra often said the right things but in the wrong ways. Mako knew this, of course, and he really did value her words, really, he did; however, he was still reluctant to share his problems with anyone, including her. Yes, she was his girlfriend, and yes, he did love her, though he was still one who would rather work at his issues alone, and Korra knew this.

The room grew quiet; the only sounds heard were the steady breathing emitting from the two. Korra was the one to break the silence, focusing her gaze on the dresser against the wall and saying, "You know Bolin and I aren't going anywhere."

"I know," Mako spoke. "It's just... In my mind, I know for a fact Bo would never allow that to happen to himself or you, but I can't be so sure with you, Korra!"

She cocked a brow at his words. "What are you talking about? You know for a fact that I would never put Bolin in harm's way!"

Mako put a finger to his lips, shushing the Avatar when he was reminded that his little brother was still asleep in the other room. "That's not what I meant!" his tone was hushed. "I meant that, with you being the Avatar and all, you aren't guaranteed a safe life! Especially with how you rush into things head first before properly thinking it through!"

"I could say the same for you, City Boy!" she shot back. "Being on the police force doesn't secure your safety!"

The young man huffed out sudden irritation, throwing his arms back behind his head and groaned. Fighting wasn't going to get him anywhere. Especially this late at night. "Look, I worry about losing you, alright? I don't want to lose those closest to me. I don't know how I'd handle it." He had caught her gaze sometime during speaking. Intensity flashed in his eyes momentarily just before he looked away.

Korra took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and turned toward Mako. Without hesitance, the Avatar crawled to her boyfriend, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his midsection. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging the young woman close to his frame, and brought his free hand to play with her hair. For the first time that night, he began to feel the fear and agitation lift from his body.

"I hate to break it to you," Korra began with a smile, "but I'm not going anywhere. For a _long _time. You're stuck with me, City Boy."

He allowed a small smile of his own. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

I actually really like how this one came out. Let me know what you all think! Remember - if you have any ideas or requests, leave them in a review! And be sure to leave a review! I love reading and replying to them. Hope you all enjoyed!


	14. Dance Lessons

I'm sorry for the seemingly slow update! I've been very busy with things in my day-to-day life, that I haven't even had a chance to reply to those who reviewed the last chapter! So, in place of that, thank you to everyone who reviewed that last chapter! I really appreciate it! This specific oneshot was written for a request given by **PixyMisa87**, who asked for "Mako teaching Korra how to dance or both of them learning how to dance at the same time". I hope you all enjoy, and that my work lives up to your expectations, Pixy!

* * *

It was a simple setting created with a simple idea by a simple young man.

Korra had been dragged back to the pro-bending arena after a dinner date with Mako. She had warned him of what he should expect for returning her back to Air Temple Island late, and, while Mako knew how much it infuriated Tenzin when Korra didn't return back at the designated time, he had something special planned. Ignoring her protests, Mako led her through the familiar halls of the building, eventually entering the gym and stopping at the ladder leading up toward the ceiling. Korra quirked a brow and shot a questioning look up at her boyfriend to which he replied with a chuckle and a nudge of his head toward the ladder. "Ladies first," he smiled, moving his arm upward and letting go of her hand. She stood still for a moment, her questioning look remaining as she glanced at the ladder. Letting go of his hand, Korra gripped the rungs of the ladder and began to climb up to the attic.

Emerging from below the hatch, Korra was taken aback from the scene before her. The area where the brothers' resided had been transformed into that of a scene from a romance novel. Scattered across the wooden floor of the loft area were several candles, illuminating the dark attic in a gentle glow. The faint sound of a slow tune emitting from the radio filled her ears. She surveyed the scene, wandering aimlessly around the area, ultimately coming to a stop just by the opening in the floor. Her eyes widened just the slightest and her jaw slacked in astonishment. "Wow..." she murmured.

"Well, what do you think?"

The sudden voice brought her out of her mind temporarily. She turned to see Mako on the other side of the hatch, glancing at Korra with a soft smile on his face and his hands tucked into his pockets. "I... you... You did all of this?"

He nodded. Making his way around the hatch and over to her side, he said, "I know you have that ball coming up, and I know how terrible you are at dancing-" his smile grew wider as he caught the pout she gave off at his words. "-so I figured I'd take the opportunity to teach you, myself."

"Do you even know how to dance?" she asked as he took her hand in his own and led her to the center of the loft.

"I know a bit from my mother," Korra caught the pain from the memories flash through his amber eyes, "but I figured we could learn together." His smile softened as he spoke, both from the memories of his mother and the fact that his girlfriend - as stubborn and reluctant she was with other things - was allowing him the opportunity to teach her a new skill, though, he highly doubted she would count _dancing_ as a skill.

Korra felt his arm snake around her back, while his other arm brought their hands out to the side - not too high, yet not too low. Having seen few couples dance during her time in Republic City, she was unsure of what to do with her free arm, which dangled at her side. It varied from the woman's arms thrown behind the man's neck, to one hand either coming to rest on the man's back or shoulder, while the other was held in the man's hand. With her current position, Korra figured the latter would be best and brought her arm to wrap around Mako's midsection, while her hand came to rest just where his upper back began. Feeling him gently pull her hand toward him, she glanced down, taking notice that he had begun to move. She kept her head down in order to pay attention to his movements, glancing up at him but for only a moment; his eyes seemed to move every so often from their movements, to her face, and then back down again. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he led the Avatar to and fro, swaying in a small circle around the wood flooring. Their gazes met each other's for a moment, to which both exchanged small smiles with a faint shade of red spreading across their cheeks.

The two continued to move slowly, half in time with the music, and half out of time with the music. Both Mako and Korra had managed to step on each other's feet, to which the receiving end would let out a grunt in pain, while the other would say a soft sorry. When the mistakes became more frequent, the two would share a laugh.

"You know, you really aren't that great at this," Korra grinned after what seemed like the billionth time Mako had accidentally stepped on her.

"You're one to talk," he smiled back.

In an instant, he had let go of Korra's hand, gaining a confused look from the young woman. His arm which was already around her back moved to her waist, while the other came to meet it. Korra took this as a signal for her to wrap her arms around his neck. Once she did, time seemed to stand still. They locked eyes, soft smiles creeping up on their features. For a moment, they stood there in silence, neither feeling the need to speak a word.

Not being able to reach to rest her head on his shoulder, Korra settled for pressing her cheek against his chest as the two returned to swaying along with the music once more.

"Aside from you murdering my feet," she smirked, "this actually isn't half bad. Tenzin won't be too pleased, though."

"We'll get better with more practice; and Tenzin will be fine when he learns that all of this was for a good cause. We can't have the Avatar making a fool of herself, can we?"

"Speaking of which, I was thinking about having you escort me to said ball. You know, if you want."

"I thought that was a done deal," Mako's face dropped.

Korra looked up at Mako with a smirk. "You know I'm joking," she said, bringing one of her hands to punch at his shoulder.

"And you should know that _I'm_ joking," he flashed a goofy grin, cupping her chin and lowering his head to hers for a kiss.

They continued to sway to the music in silence for the remainder of their time together that night, getting slightly better with each movement.

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The ending bothers me... But, tell me what you think! Honest opinions, only. This was written quickly since I had gone through a bout of writer's block, but it was suddenly lifted, so I decided to take the opportunity to write. It may be horrible, it may be good. No idea! That's why you all are here! I'll be working on more requests and original ideas, soon. My writer's block still remains, so updates may be slow, still. Review, please! I read and reply to each one (when I can). Hope you all enjoyed!


	15. Drive By

Here is something short I wrote up today in response to Mashka48 wanting something with action. Hope it lives up to your expectations, Mashka, and I hope the rest of you enjoy, as well!

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This definitely wasn't going as planned.

What was supposed to be a relaxing, evening drive through the city on Mako's motorcycle had turned into a disaster. Neither on his part, or Korra's part, mind you, but rather his profession's part. You see, even if he was off-duty, being a police officer meant that Mako was inclined to enforce the law whenever he witnessed a crime taking place in the city; both off-duty and on-duty. About ten minutes into their drive, just as Mako had made a turn down one of the upper-class streets, Korra had pointed something out ahead of them. Instinctively, Mako observed the scene unfolding before the two as they drove closer. Much to his a surprise, a mugging of an elder woman was taking place, with the perpetrator seeming to be gang affiliated.

"Just when I thought I'd have some time to spend with you..." Mako muttered, slowing his motorcycle down to a stop a ways away from the crime. "I'll be right back."

The firebender kicked down the kickstand on the motorcycle, stood, and handed his helmet to the girl still sitting on the seat. He noticed her determined gaze was focused on the crime. "Stay, Avatar," Mako's words earned him a solid pout in return as he turned and walked towards the current crime.

"Hey, scumbag!" Mako's loud voice rang through the mugger's ears, halting his current actions. "I'd advise you to leave that woman alone, unless, of course, you want some jail time."

The mugger only smirked, going back to tugging at the woman's purse which she desperately clung on to. "Go ahead, call the cops! I'll be gone before they even show up."

"Please, young man, help me!" the elder woman cried out. She was no match for the much younger and much stronger man, her vice-grip on the purse beginning to slip.

"Shut up!" barked the mugger. With all of his might, he managed to break the purse away from the woman's hands, the force sending her falling onto her backside. Without looking back, the mugger turned and took off down the street.

Mako broke out into a run at that point, beginning to chase down the criminal. "Korra, I need you to-"

"Already on it!" Korra replied as she sprinted past her boyfriend, missing the puzzled expression he shot toward her. She wasn't entirely sure if burning criminals in order to slow them down was allowed, and earthbending was definitely out of the question, for she didn't wish to spend some time of her own in jail on vandalism charges. Just as the perpetrator turned down an alleyway, an idea sparked in her mind. There were multiple puddles of water from gutter and drain run-offs which she could use at her will. With her quick thinking, Korra bended a stream of water from a puddle, wrapping it around the mugger's ankles. She pulled back her hands, successfully tripping the mugger, causing him to fall face first on to the pavement.

The mugger glowered up at the Avatar as she bended water from a separate puddle around his wrists in the form of makeshift handcuffs. "You little bitch," he snarled.

"Thanks," Korra grinned, grabbing the purse he had made attempt to steal from the ground. "I'll be returning this to that woman, and Officer Mako will make sure charges come your way, I'm sure."

"Officer...?"

"Off-duty!" Mako's voice carried down the alley as he made the turn. His arm was around the older woman's back as they came in to view. He told the woman to stay put while he went to grab her purse. "I'll be calling backup to come and handle you," he glared down at the bound criminal. He took hold of the purse from Korra and walked it back to the woman. "And I'll make sure they speak to you to file a report."

"Thank you, young man," the woman smiled. "And much thanks to you, Avatar, for getting my purse back from that man."

"Don't mention it."

...

Mako and Korra left the area as soon as the on-duty officers arrived. They thanked Korra for stopping the would-be-thief, and took the time to poke fun at the rookie cop for not being able to snag the mugger on his own. Korra had grinned through the entire conversation to which Mako could only scowl. When the two had made their way back to Mako's motorcycle to continue their ride, Korra strapped on her helmet with a grin as Mako sat and took hold of the handlebars.

"You know," she began, taking her seat on the back of the bike and wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist. "I think I'm better suited for this job than you are, Cool Guy."

Mako could only groan in response, kicking up the kickstand and revving the engine to his bike.

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If you spot any mistakes, please, let me know so I can fix them! I haven't been able to edit in Microsoft Word for quite some time due to my PC not wanting to comply with me, so I've been having to edit on Pages on my Macbook. Remember to review! I read and respond to each one when I have the time! And, if you have a prompt/request, feel free to leave it in a review or shoot me a PM! I hope you all enjoyed!


	16. Fight

This has been sitting in my documents for a while. I wasn't sure if I wanted to post it; however, I figured I would share it. I can't stand the idea of something sitting in my documents for no apparent reason. Enjoy!

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"Calm down? _Calm down_? How am I supposed to calm down when that girl was throwing herself at you?"

"Throwing herself at me? Are you delusional? No one was throwing themselves at me!"

"So touching and throwing her arms around you every chance she got isn't throwing themselves at you?"

"She was just a fan! It wasn't like she was trying to kiss me or anything!"

"Yet you still let it happen!"

"You're crazy!"

"You're a liar!"

_SLAM!_

Bolin plopped down onto the sofa and groaned. Why was it, every time he came home from practice, he came home to his brother and his brother's girlfriend fighting? He knew these two butted heads often — hell, they did it enough when they were _just friends_ — but this was getting out of hand. All Bolin wanted to do when he got home was take a shower, eat some dinner, and relax for the remainder of the evening; however, it seemed damn near impossible with the fighting going on. Granted, the fights didn't occur _every day_. Bolin counted himself lucky when he would arrive back to the apartment, being met with only silence as he opened the door. Though, when he was met with yelling, he noticed the fights to be centered around the couple either not spending enough time together - which neither could help, what with a certain Avatar's duties and training, and a certain rookie cop's work schedule and often being called as back-up — or jealousy, like the fight taking place now was centered around.

"What do you think, Pabu? Are you tired of the yelling as much as I am?" Bolin whispered to his fire ferret, scratching him behind the ears. The fire ferret squeaked in reply, lying down in his owner's lap. "I'll take that as a yes."

Bolin could hear footsteps stomping furiously through the hallway — back and forth, back and forth. It went silent for a moment, and the young earthbender began to believe the fighting had stopped; perhaps leaving Mako to allow Korra some time alone in their bedroom to cool off. He slouched against the sofa, stroking the fur along Pabu's back. Finally, he would get some peace, even if it meant for a short moment.

The stomping picked up again, leaving Bolin to let out a sigh. He heard what could only be his older brother jiggle the doorknob which had no doubt been locked by Korra.

"Come on, Korra. Let me in."

"Go away."

"Korra, just-"

"I said go away!"

The footsteps were heard again, however they continued into the front room Bolin sat at. He looked to his left to see his older brother with a scowl on his face.

"Having a hard time, bro?" Bolin asked.

Mako ran a hand through his hair, making his way to the sofa. "What do you think?" He groaned, plopping down beside his younger brother. "She's angry with me because there was this one girl — this _one_ girl — who was a fan of mine from my time on the Fire Ferrets. All the girl did was brush up against me or put her hand on my arm while we talked. I didn't like it, myself, but I wasn't going to be a prick and tell her to back off!"

"I don't really want to play mediator," Bolin began, glancing at his brother, "but why not put yourself in her shoes? How would you feel if some guy was getting up close and personal with Korra?"

"I already know how that feels, Bo! It's happened before!"

"Then aren't you being a bit hypocritical?"

Mako fell silent.

Bolin's gaze remained on his older brother as he stood from his seat and sped back down the hall. He heard the knocking on the door, and, surprisingly, the sound of it opening. _Spirits, let them settle this so I can relax._

"What do you want, lover-boy?"

"Look, I'm sorry I allowed that to happen, but I can't help it if I still have fans! I'm a former pro-bender, of course I have a few fans left over, and you do, too! How do you think I feel when guys are trying their luck with you?"

"Oh, so now we're turning this around on me?"

"No, of course not; and you know it!"

There was a bout of silence, and Bolin wondered if Korra was silently murdering the firebender in his own bedroom. That was, until he heard the door violently slam shut followed by banging on the walls of the bedroom. He felt his face heat up in realization of what was most likely taking place behind the closed door. Grabbing Pabu, Bolin rushed out of the apartment building and down the sidewalk. He could always grab a meal at Narook's and shower later.

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Obviously, the reason for me not posting this sooner is due to the fact I'm not all that happy with it. It was just an idea I had in my mind and decided to write. Never bothered sharing it, but, I decided I would! Like I said, I hate the idea of something sitting in my documents for no reason. I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me your honest opinion! Remember, if you have an idea for a future chapter, please leave it in a review or a private message! I've also noticed this oneshot collection is nearing a hundred reviews! I am both shocked and elated to have received this many reviews! I never imagined that would happen! Thank you to everyone who has read and is still reading! I really appreciate it!


	17. A Mother's Love

Good news! My writer's block is gone and these oneshots now have individual titles! Took me long enough, haha! Anywho, enjoy! I really had fun with this idea of mine. And thank you to all of those who reviewed last chapter!

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Leaning against the entrance to the small little kitchen, Korra silently watched both her boyfriend and her mother scrubbing away at dishes from that evening's meal, conversing and sharing laughs and smiles every now and again. She smiled herself, happy that Mako could enjoy her parents' company — well, at least he enjoyed her mother's company. She wasn't entirely sure about how much he enjoyed her father's company, even if Tonraq had made it clear to the young firebender that he didn't need to be afraid of him. Korra often noticed that — despite what her father had said to Mako — he always sent some sort of intimidation his way, much to her amusement. She always grinned wildly when she witnessed Mako squirming under her father's gaze, who bursted into laughter each and every time, telling the poor young man that he was merely joking around with him.

With her mother, it was different. Mako seemed to have developed a fantastic relationship with her mother right off the bat — a mother-son relationship. He seemed to prefer her company over her fathers on any given day, spending time helping her clean up after meals, swapping recipes he had learned over the years to keep Bolin fed in exchange for authentic Southern Water Tribe recipes, assisting her in house work; you name it. Senna enjoyed her daughter's boyfriend's company, making little comments here and there about how helpful and kind he was. Tonraq had chuckled at the comments, nudging his daughter and whispering, "Don't worry, I can man him up real fast," to which his daughter smirked in reply, commenting on how she liked him just the way he was. Tonraq had placed his hand atop his daughter's head and smiled. "He's a good kid."

Korra had brought up to Mako that he appeared to be getting along well with her mother one afternoon during their stay at the Southern Water Tribe. "Yeah, I guess so," Mako had simply smiled, swinging his legs back and forth from where they dangled off of the edge of the cliff the two sat on. Korra had quirked a brow at her boyfriend, asking him if he was really that terrified of her father to rather spend time with her mother than the middle aged man. Mako imitated his girlfriend's questioning look, replying that, it wasn't that he didn't enjoy her father's company — really, he did. It was just that the man appeared to enjoy picking on the poor boy more than actually bonding with him — it was that her mother reminded him so much of his own mother. Korra remained silent after that, only moving closer to the young firebender and resting her head on his shoulder.

From then-on-out, she shrugged off the joking comments her father had made on how her boyfriend would become a woman if he kept hanging around them so much. Korra had decided to keep the information Mako had shared with her about why he enjoyed her mother's company so much to herself. Her father would learn in due time if and when Mako made the decision to make the little tidbit public, but, for now, Korra made sure she informed her father to keep the jokes at a minimum. He had given her a questioning look, knowing all to well that his daughter enjoyed toying with her boyfriend as much as he did, but complied, nonetheless. Korra let the thought of her father possibly getting the hint as to what was with Mako's relationship with her mother pass through her mind.

"I'll take over from here," Mako's voice pulled Korra out of her thoughts and back to reality. She caught that warm smile on his face when she glanced back at him and her mother at work. "You deserve a break."

"Are you sure? There isn't that much left to clean," Senna asked, surveying the remaining dishes that needed to be cleaned.

"Yeah," Mako replied, taking a plate and plunging it into the water. "I can take care of this."

"Well thank you, dear," the older woman smiled, grabbing the towel off to the side and using it to dry her hands. She caught sight of her daughter as soon as she turned to walk out of the kitchen, her smile gaining mischief with every step closer to the young Avatar. Korra's brow shot up in question of her mother's intentions when the older woman stopped just outside of the kitchen entrance. She turned to her daughter, the mischievous smile still on her lips, and spoke, "You really _should_ consider marrying him, Korra. He's a great young man." Senna's smile grew wider when she caught the flush of embarrassment on her daughter's face.

Korra could only stare at the wall in shock as her mother made her way down the hall, while Mako glanced over his shoulder at his flustered girlfriend, a tint of red of his own on his features, and a small smile on his face.

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I hope you all enjoyed this. Like I said up at the top, it was fun to write! I really enjoyed it. Reviews are always appreciated, so don't feel shy! Go ahead and leave one! If you have a prompt/idea/request for a oneshot, please leave it in a review or a PM! Just a headsup, as well: I may be slow on updating due to the Olympics. I'm keeping a close eye on women's gymnastics and men's swimming, so my writing and updating time has been dwindled down. Go Team U.S.A! So proud of Michael Phelps for breaking the record of most medals earned! He deserves it!


	18. Silence

I quickly want to thank everyone who has reviewed for helping me reach 100 reviews on this oneshot collection! It means a lot to me! Enjoy this oneshot!

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Silence.

It was one of the simpler things in life that Mako enjoyed the most. Yes, it was a rather rare occurrence for him, what with his little brother, his job, the barking polar bear dog that somehow made her way into the apartment every so often, and his loudmouth girlfriend. Don't get him wrong, Mako does enjoy all of these things, no matter how annoying they can be at times; Bolin with his talks about the latest girl he has his eye on, the criminals spewing nasty words at him as he chases them down an alley or apprehends them, his girlfriend's polar bear dog, Naga, making a fuss when she parks her rear on the ground beside the window and watches the passersby, and Korra, his girlfriend, who had a knack for pestering him with this or that. Granted, she did have some kind words to say to him; however, those were most likely to occur when no one else was around to witness it, which prompted Bolin to chuckle at the fact that Korra never had anything nice to say about his older brother despite their being in a relationship. Mako had scowled at the remark, earning a grin from his younger brother and a pat on the back. "Hey, I'm sure she makes up for it somehow," Bolin had once told him as he headed out for pro-bending practice with his two new teammates, leaving the older of the two brothers wide-eyed and flustered.

Mako never seemed to grasp the moments of silence he wanted even when he was alone. His little brother would be off practicing with the new Fire Ferrets pro-bending team, while his girlfriend would be back on Air Temple Island carrying out her airbending training with Tenzin and his children. Even with the two out of the apartment, and Mako settling down with a cup of tea and a book on his days off, the noises of the city were hard to drown out. Yes, he was used to the noises having grown up on the streets for most of his life, but that had made him value silence even more. It seemed like the most silence he had ever experienced was the late nights at the pro-bending arena. Living in the attic loft with Bolin had provided the most silence the two brothers had ever experienced in their lives. The dead-of-night was the most quiet time in the entire arena. No matches were taking place, nor was anyone allowed to use the training room after-hours. The silence allowed both brothers a chance at a peaceful sleep, and the calming noise of the waves of Yue Bay crashing against the rocks acted like a lullaby for the two. Their stay on Air Temple Island — despite how short of a stay it was — also provided the silence Mako yearned for. There was rarely a disturbance during the night on the peaceful island. Mako was still able to enjoy the waves of the bay; the lullaby he loved so much mixing in with the rustling of the leaves on the numerous trees, and the groans and squeaks from the sky bisons and flying lemurs.

Moving away from his two places of silence and into an apartment had its perks, of course. Mako always knew that in order to gain something, he would have to give something up in return. That something was his treasured silence. Moving into an apartment gave the brothers a proper living space of their own; complete with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a moderate sized front room, this was something the two were proud to call home. Korra had moved in with the brothers a few months after their own arrival, something that made Mako extremely happy. Little did he know, however, he would soon question why he asked his girlfriend to move in with him and his little brother in the first place. For a girl, Korra certainly was a messy one. From leaving her disastrous attempts at cooking all across the counters of the kitchen, to her clothes left scattered around the bedroom from when she changed into her sleepwear (coming into the room in the dead of night after a visit to the restroom and nearly killing himself when he tripped over her boots was something Mako could definitely do without), to leaving a mess of books and other items around the apartment when she couldn't find something to successfully cure her boredom. She was pretty loud, too, but that was common knowledge. From yelling at him during their fights, to cheering and groaning during the radio broadcast of pro-bending matches, silence was indeed a rare occurrence.

Nights — times that were meant to include silence — were no easier. Living in an apartment didn't grant Mako silence in the middle of the night, what with the nightly city noises ranging from running car motors, to loud motorcycles, and sometimes even honking horns. Korra wasn't any help with the noise, either, making him almost wish they didn't have to share a bed — almost. She seemed to be a rather heavy sleeper, which meant she had no trouble at all going to sleep even with all of the noise outside of the window. Of course, being a heavy sleeper meant she was prone to snoring, and boy did she snore. It wasn't terribly loud, mind you. Not as loud as he had heard coming from Bolin's room on occasion. However, it was loud enough to keep him wide awake for what seemed like hours before his body finally gave in and allowed him the sleep he needed.

Even as rare as it was, Mako did receive the silence he wished for for so long. It wasn't often, thanks to the schedule of his job and the responsibilities his girlfriend had as the Avatar; however he got it at least a few times each month. When he was positive both he and Korra would have a free day, he would take her to the nearby park where the two would sit on the soft grass, resting their backs against a large oak tree. They would remain in that position — making small talk and poking fun at each other — until the sky grew dark, lit up only by the stars up above. Korra would move in between her boyfriend's legs, resting her back against his body. His hands would come to rest on her stomach, and the two gazed up at the stars in peace. Holding Korra in his arms, the noises of the city seemed to vanish from Mako's ears, even if for a moment.

Despite silence being such a rare thing for the young rookie cop, Mako was content with the small amounts he was lucky enough to receive.

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100 reviews. I never thought I would get that far. Like I said above, thank you all! I really appreciate it! Don't forget to leave a review. I love hearing from the readers! If you have any ideas or prompts you would like to see as an upcoming oneshot, please leave it in a review or shoot me a PM! I don't bite! Again, thank you all! I am so glad you all enjoy this collection.


	19. Third Time's the Charm

I am so sorry for the slow update! This idea has been in my head for quite some time, and I finally got around to writing it a few days ago, just finally finishing it up tonight while listening to some Frank Ocean. Love that man. Anywho, enjoy! and, again, sorry for the slow update!

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The beauty of being in a relationship was that it included the privilege of being able to kiss your significant other whenever you felt like it. Or, at least, that's what Jinora had told Korra one evening over dinner, prompting the young Avatar to nearly choke on her food from embarrassment at the sudden words. The eldest of the airbending children had gone on to say that Korra's relationship with Mako had reminded her of that of a fairytale; what with Mako being an orphan and Korra being the Avatar. Ikki had joined her sister in bugging Korra, telling the young woman that her being able to _finally_ kiss the _handsome firebender boy that drives her crazy_ was one of the cutest things in the world. Despite the annoyance welling up inside her and the all too present blush spread across her cheeks, Korra had done her best to keep her composure and block out to two girls' voices. She was ever so grateful when Tenzin ordered the two to pipe down and let her eat.

Truth be told, kissing was a rather touchy subject for Korra. Yes, she was in a relationship with Mako — the firebender who knew exactly how to push her buttons — and, yes, she was in love with him; however, those factors didn't make kissing any less difficult than it already was. After that kiss the two shared in the icy tundras of the south pole, the couple hadn't shared a kiss on that level afterwards. They had mainly stuck to innocent kisses on the cheek from their time spent in the Southern Water Tribe to their return to Republic City which wasn't too long ago. The mere thought of even brushing her lips across the firebender's sent Korra's mind into a frenzy. The though excited her, for it was something she had wanted to do for so long and now she was finally able to. Whenever she wanted, according to Jinora. However, she was also left with intense anxiety at the idea of being able to kiss him _whenever she wanted_. It was ironic, and it left the Avatar at a loss.

Mako, on the other hand, had never complained about the lack of expression from his girlfriend. He never appeared as if the lack of affection from a certain waterbender affected him even the slightest. Korra had figured that - if Mako had wanted to kiss her just as badly as she had wanted to him - he would have just kissed her during the gap between then and now. It had mainly been him being the one to kiss her on the cheek, for she was too nervous to even do that herself most of the time, but had somehow gotten over that fear, even just a bit. Perhaps that was his way of subtly letting Korra know that he was up for a kiss at any time instead of taking her off guard when she wasn't comfortable. He always was the gentleman.

She had always told herself that she shouldn't be as worried over kissing Mako as she was. This was something she had wanted to do for so long and had gotten to do twice. Where was that fearlessness she had had during their first kiss? She was in a relationship with him, for spirits sake! So Why was it so difficult?

Perhaps she needed to take a page from one of Jinora's many books and 'set the mood', as she had read, for a kiss. Maybe then it wouldn't be such a scary idea.

And she did just that. The young Avatar had casually asked Mako out on a date, to which he teased her, saying he wasn't aware it was the woman's job to ask out the man. Korra had scowled, instructing the firebender to shut up and go out with her to dinner that night. He was at no base to refuse her orders, giving her a nod and flashing a smile to go along with it.

So here they sat at Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, both eating a hearty meal and making small talk. Toward the end of the meal, Korra had felt her heart begin to race at what she knew was coming. There was no way of backing out now. She needed to get over this stupid bump in the road.

"Well," Mako began as he placed the amount of yuans due for the bill and stood from his seat. "That was good. You ready to head back?"

She nodded, not certain if she could trust her voice. The last thing she needed was to tip him off that she was nervous about something. Without a word, Korra stood from her seat and followed Mako out the door. This is was it. No turning back.

"I suppose I should thank you for asking me out on this date," Mako grinned. "But, next time _you_ ask_ me_ out, you're paying."

Korra glanced up at the young man walking alongside her as they ventured down the dark streets of Republic City. "What?" her voice came out as a partial laugh. _Good,_ she thought, half-smiling, half-scowling when she caught his grin turn cocky.

"It's only fair, considering it was _you_ who asked _me_ out. I was under the impression that whoever asked the other out on a date was responsible for all bills."

"And _I_ was under the impression that it was always the _man_ who paid for things on dates, no matter who asked who out," she poked at his chest, momentarily forgetting her anxiety. "You _are_ a man, aren't you, Cool Guy?"

He didn't reply, only shooting her a scowl and playfully pushing her off to the side with the side of his body, earning a small laugh and a playful push back from the young woman.

They continued walking in silence and Korra knew she had to suck up her fear and do this quick as they took a turn down the next street. They were walking aimlessly, now, with Mako following Korra's every step and Korra trying to buy time before the two parted ways for the night.

Without warning, Korra stopped dead in her tracks, taking Mako's hand in her own so that he wouldn't keep on without her. Just as he turned to face her, giving her a questioning look, she stretched up and crashed her lips together with his. The kiss was sloppy and quick, leaving Korra to mentally kick herself for bumping her nose against his.

"That... that was terrible!" she groaned, pulling out of the kiss all too quickly, leaving Mako rather confused at her actions and words. She thought she had this entire thing down; invite Mako out on a date and _finally_ kiss him for the third time somewhere romantic. It was so simple! So why did she have to go and mess it up with her impatience? Kissing him in the middle of the sidewalk — where all eyes were sure to be on the two teenagers — of all places! That wasn't romantic. And, of course, she had to mess up the entire thing by making it the worst kiss possible. "What is wrong with me?"

"Korra..." she faintly heard Mako calling her name over her thoughts. She looked at him with a scowl that was intended only for herself. "Nothing is wrong with you."

"I messed up our date with that _stupid_ kiss!"

"No you didn't," he came closer toward her, and, taking her hand in his, he continued. "You didn't mess up our date."

"Yes I did!" she folded her arms across her chest. "That was the worst kiss ever! You can't stand here and tell me—"

At that moment, Mako pulled her into his arms and lifted her up to his level. His lips met hers in a gentle manner, reminiscent to their kiss in the icy tundra, and Korra begins to forget what she had done just moments ago. She could feel the stares of passersby as she melted into the kiss, but she couldn't care less at this moment in time. His lips are warm and soft against her own, and, even though it isn't the romantic setting she imagined, let alone how she _wanted_ it to happen, she can feel the emotion on Mako's lips, meeting it with an equal level of her own. He pulls away, too quickly for her liking, and smiles.

"—it wasn't..." she looked up at him and blinked, finishing her sentence that he so _kindly_ interrupted.

"You do realize we're probably going to have a lot of terrible kisses, right?" he grinned. "I think that's a given with our relationship."

Korra pouted. He was right. With their personalities, kisses like the one she had so impatiently given were a sure thing; there really wasn't any way around that. "I know. I just figured, since I kind of made you wait so long, I'd at least try and make our third kiss somewhat... special?"

"I didn't mind the wait," he admitted. "I'd rather you have been comfortable and ready before I initiated something, and I got my answer tonight. What was with the sudden change of heart?"

"It wasn't really a change of heart more than getting over my..." she paused, a little reluctant to admit what had been bothering her for so long. "...fear."

Mako quirked a brow and smirked. "Fear? You didn't seem to have any fear with the first two. _Especially_ the first."

"Shut up," Korra groaned. "It was just something that Jinora had told me that I guess I kind of already knew... That's all."

"Which was?"

She was certain Mako was staring at the intense blush that had crept onto her features. "That I get to kiss you whenever I want to, now."

She was partially taken aback when he began to laugh. Though, she did expect it. "That's what made you so scared? That simple little thing?"

"Could you stop laughing? This isn't funny!"

"It kind of is, Korra! I would've thought you would have taken advantage of that idea with how impatient you are," his laughter remained just as strong. A moment passed before it finally began to die down, the glare from Korra most likely having got to him. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"I thought the same, but I never really thought we would end up together," she averted her gaze away from him and toward the shops across the street. "When we finally did, the idea caught up with me. I'm still pretty new to this entire relationship thing." She could feel Mako's eyes on her, and she just knew he had some sort of look plastered across his face.

"You are aware that I'm — technically — new to this, too, right?" His hands are on her face, and he gently moves her head so she could look into his eyes. "I've never been in this serious of a relationship."

She remained quiet, her eyes still refusing to meet his. Knitting his brows together, Mako keeps his gaze on the Avatar.

"So stop worrying."

Those words are enough to set her off. All of the emotions she felt prior to that moment seem to vanish from her body, only leaving behind the love she had for the firebender before her. Stretching up on her toes, she kisses him for the third time that night, again not caring about the stares she is certain they are receiving once more. Her arms wind around his neck, and his hands travel from her face and down her sides, coming to a stop at her waist. This is the kiss she had wanted — the kiss she expected to throw upon him, and instead giving him the worst kiss of the century, at least in her book. They part after a long moment, looking into each others eyes with smiles on their faces.

"I hope you're okay with me kissing you any time I want, then, City Boy, because I'll be doing it a lot."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed that. I had to rewrite so many parts due to my mind being rather strange. It kept wanting me to write in a different style that I wasn't used to, which may be present in this oneshot in some areas depending on if I fixed them or not... Perhaps I'll write a oneshot in the style it was telling me to write this one in one day to see what you guys think. Reviews are always welcome, as are prompts! I love me some prompts. And, just to keep you all informed, updates will be slower than usual. I've been rather busy and have a lot going on in my life. I hope you all understand. Thanks for reading!


	20. Good Kind of Weird

I know, I know. I said the updates would be slow, but this idea was eating away at my mind. I just had to write it. It's pretty short, but it was very fun to write. This is also the "style" I wanted to write chapter 19 in, but decided against it. Instead of past tense, this is written in present tense. I just had to get it out of my system. It was a challenge to do, but I still had fun with it, and I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Enjoy!

* * *

Dawn nears, casting a gentle light across Republic City. It is one of those — now rare — days when both Mako and Korra have time to spend amongst themselves. The two are sitting on the soft grass atop a hill which overlooks the city; a place Mako had found during one of his patrols. It has become their favorite getaway spot when they needed time away from the hustle and bustle of their busy schedules. Korra is sitting to Mako's right, her head on his shoulder, while his arm is draped across hers, leaving his hand to grip at the side of her upper arm. They remain silent as they watch the city below them, both enjoying the others presence. It had been so long since the two had really gotten some alone-time — Mako was quickly learning the ins and outs of police work under the watchful eye of his captain and Chief Beifong, while Korra was as engrossed with airbending training as ever, as well as maintaining her duties as the Avatar. Time alone was something they both treasured dearly, making sure to prolong the time as much as possible.

Korra looks up at Mako for a moment, catching him catching her staring at him. He quirks a brow in question, but, nonetheless, smiles. She does the same, her eyes going back to the city below.

"Has anyone ever told you that your eyebrows are pretty strange?" she asks out of the blue. The sudden question takes Mako by surprise. Had that been what she was looking at?

"What?" he asks back.

She shifts in his hold to face him. One of her hands goes to the grass behind her, supporting her body, while the other comes to rest on his chest. "Your eyebrows," she echos. "Has anyone ever told you how weird they are?"

Mako absentmindedly brings his fingers up to each of his eyebrows. "No. At least, not until now. What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing is wrong with them. They're just shaped weird. That's all," she grins.

"Shaped weird?" His fingers begin to trace the straight line of hair where his brows begin, slowly moving to follow the hair that curved upward, and then trailing back down to the sharped end at the bottom. Sure, he had noticed the shape before when looking in the mirror while brushing his teeth or combing his hair, but he never gave them a second thought.

Korra watches his fingers trace over the small hairs above his eyes. Her grin turns to that of amusement when she catches him subtly making faces in what she assumes as an attempt at somehow changing the shape of his brows. "You can't tell me that you think they look normal."

"Define normal."

"Something like mine, or Asami's, or Bolin's," she catches him shooting her a questioning look when she mentions his younger brother. "Okay, maybe not _completely_ like Bo's. Just the shape, not the thickness."

"So you're saying they don't look normal?"

"Pretty much."

"Great," Mako groans, letting his head fall back. "My girlfriend thinks I look weird."

Korra' hands find their place on either sides of his face. She gently guides his head back up and inches her face closer to his, closing the small gap. She puts her lips against his in a chaste kiss and pulls away with a smile.

"It's a good kind of weird."

* * *

Reviews are always welcome and appreciated, as are prompts and ideas! Love me some prompts. Let me know what you think of present tense in stories. I, for one, do not mind it, if it is used correctly. If it isn't, it can get pretty annoying pretty fast. If enough people enjoy it, I may do some more oneshots in this style. It proved to be a challenge that I enjoyed! Thank you all for reading! Oh, and we've made it to 20 oneshots! That's pretty cool. I'm not sure how many oneshots this collection will have, but, when I have a definite number, I'll let you all know. Trust me.


	21. Hidden Talent

This was requested by HarmonyBenderFreak, so I must thank her for that. Enjoy!

* * *

It had been a long, grueling day for the young, firebending rookie cop. The long hours he had been given to patrol the west-side of the city — which had resulted in various, routine traffic stops that included three tickets being written and one D.U.I. arrest — had proven to be rather tiring for Mako. Despite having been on the force for a little over a year, he was still left with the awful shifts of a rookie cop that left him with sleep deprivation and the unsettling feeling that he was never going to get used to these strange work hours that seemed to vary in amounts and times-of-day. It was a wonder how he ever woke up in the mornings in order to even make it to his job.

Digging a hand into the bag of take-out he had picked up just moments ago, Mako pulled out one of two chocolate egg rolls which had been meant for dessert and, carefully unwrapping the foil, munched on the delectable treat as he neared his apartment complex. He held the pastry between his teeth, allowing him to open the door to the building, and returned to taking quick bites of the dessert as he made his way up the stairs and toward the fourth floor. Finishing up the last bite, Mako came to a stop in front of apartment number forty. His free hand shot into his pocket, and, after retrieving his set of keys, he unlocked the door and entered the modest apartment.

"I'm home," he smiled, catching sight of his girlfriend wandering around the kitchen and opening various cupboards in what he could only assume to be a search for food that didn't take much preparation. His smile turned to that of a crooked grin when Korra turned his attention toward him, eyes trailing down his body until she caught sight of the take-out bags in his hand. "Hungry?"

"You have no idea," the Avatar grinned back, making way for the small table and taking a seat.

"Sorry I wasn't home sooner; I got held up with patrol." Mako came to stand beside the table and kissed Korra quickly, placing the bags on the table. He pulled out the individual containers and set them out. "Komodo sausage, rice, stir fry, and dessert," he recited respectively to each container he removed from the bag. "Or, your dessert, I should say."

"Mine?" Korra rose a brow in question, watching him as he made way for the sink to wash his hands. "Is that why you taste like chocolate?"

Mako grinned sheepishly, shutting off the faucet and drying his hands on a hand towel that hung on a ring off to the side. "I got a little hungry on the way home," he commented, opening a cupboard, taking out two plates, and grabbing the necessary utensils from the drawer below.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you _not _to eat dessert _before_ dinner?" she joked.

"Hey," he began, setting the plates down. "For your information, I'd been touching grimy cars and had to put my hands on a drunk guy. I wasn't going to stick my dirty hands in our food, so I did the sensible thing and ate what was wrapped in foil." He set a specific utensil in each carton, and then set out the proper utensils before Korra and himself. That was when he saw it. A pad of paper with a drawing of a young man and a pencil set atop it. He grabbed the pad and sat down, examining it. "What's this?" he asked as he sat down.

Too busy serving herself and eating as she did so, Korra kept her eyes on the food before her. "What's what?"

"This," he flicked his wrist, motioning for her to look at the item in his hand. "It looks like me."

Mako watched intently as his girlfriend's eyes became glued to the paper in his hand, slowly becoming wider with each passing second. In one swift motion, the pad was yanked from his grip, leaving him confused.

"It's nothing," she muttered quickly, placing the paper on top of the table and resting her arms above it.

"Nothing? It sure didn't look like nothing." His curiosity peaked, prompting his hand to shoot out across the table. He yanked the paper out from under her arm, gaining an angered 'Hey!' from her lips, and took another look at the careful strokes of lead. "See? It's not _nothing_. It's _something_."

"Mako! Give it back!"

Ignoring her angry pleas, he resumed his examination. He was right about the drawing looking like him. From the hair, to the shape of the face, to the clothing, even the shape of the eyebrows, it was an excellent rendition of himself. "You drew this?"

Korra leaned forward from her chair and snatched the paper back, making sure to place it somewhere out of his reach. She had thought about somehow lying her way out of this, but knew he would see right through it. With a shrug of her shoulders, she replied. "I get bored when you're on your late night shifts."

"_Get_ bored?" he rose a brow. "You mean there's more?"

She remained silent as she scowled in his direction.

"There is more! Let me see!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"They're just doodles... They aren't even that great."

"Are you kidding me?" he grinned. "I'm sure they're all as great as the one I saw! How come you never told me you draw?"

"Because I don't," she glanced at the pad of paper securely tucked away from Mako's reach. She took a moment to take a bite of food before continuing. "I already told you, they're more or less doodles. Nothing meant to be taken seriously. Now can we eat before it gets cold?"

"Can I see the rest after dinner?"

"Mako..."

"Alright, alright... But I still think they're great, even if I haven't seen the rest. Yet."

_"Mako..."_

...

The following night, Mako received one of the best possible gifts Korra could offer him after another tiring night shift. The pad of paper he had come across the night before had been left out in plain sight on the kitchen counter. He had flipped through it, finding various sketches and actual doodles of Naga, Bolin, him, the airbending kids, all as great as the next as he had told her, despite the fact of him not having seen them. The most recent piece of work in — what he had dubbed — her sketchbook had left a smile on his face. Even if it was just a quick doodle of what could no doubt be her embracing him from behind with a grin on her face and a warm smile on his, he appreciated the simple gesture.

* * *

I swear, the ending was written and rewritten at least three times. It got to the point where I debated about even including the small continuation into the next day, but, I finally had something I was okay with. I'm not extremely happy with this oneshot, but all of my creative juices are being poured into a stand-alone oneshot I'm currently working on. Oops! I figured Korra would be very insecure about her drawings; I mean, who isn't? I have a friend who is one of the best artists I know (and I'm not saying this just because she is my friend. I saw her work on various sites before we even got acquainted) and, even though she's a pretty confident person, she's very insecure about her work. I believe all artists are, no matter how skilled they are with the arts. I also should credit that the drawing in the end (which I did my best to describe!) was something I borrowed from the friend I just mentioned. She drew something for her boyfriend and Valentine's Day similar to what I described in the ending. The only difference was she was kissing her boyfriend's cheek in the piece. I'm rambling, now. Updates will most likely be slow again due to the stand-alone oneshot I'm currently working on, among various other reasons. Remember to leave a review, and, if you have one, request something! I hope you all enjoyed, even if I wasn't too fond of how I wrote this.


	22. Ring Toss

Just something I wrote quickly today when the idea popped into my head. Enjoy!

* * *

The light from the numerous paper lanterns illuminated the night sky, shining down brightly against the fresh snow that had settled on the ground earlier that day. From the loud, joy-filled screams and cheers from those who were successful at one of the many games, to the numerous voices attempting to talk over each other and the loud noises emitting from the booths, to the laughter of children running about through the snow, the heart of Republic City was full of noises made possible by the fair.

The entire experience was captivating for the young firebender that walked eagerly alongside his girlfriend. The noises; the decorations; the various aromas of many different foods; everything left Mako feeling like a child again, and it certainly had a similar effect on Korra. She had pulled him in multiple directions from the very second the fair was declared open, making stops at nearly every booth they passed by.

"Ring toss! Only twenty yuans!"

The booming voice caught Mako's attention. His eyes scanned the booths he and Korra had yet to visit, finally landing on the one where the voice came from. Brightly lit and colorfully decorated, the small booth held many stuffed animals available as prizes, one of which specifically caught his eye. He tugged lightly on Korra's hand, motioning toward the booth with his chin. "That's our next stop."

"You really think you can win?" Korra asked, eyeing the booth. "You do remember how you nearly burned the booth at the Southern Water Tribe festival down because you got so frustrated when you kept losing, right?"

"I made you laugh, though."

"The guy's face made me laugh, not you."

"Hello there!" the vendor grinned at the two as they came to a stop in front of the booth. "Interested in playing a game of ring toss, I take it?"

"Yes, sir." Mako slapped the fee down on the counter. The man smiled, taking the money and placing it in a small box. He reached underneath the counter, grabbing a set of three rings and handed them to Mako.

"Land a ring around any of the glass bottles and get a prize! Good luck!"

"A hundred yuans says this entire thing will be a repeat of last time," Korra smirked, gazing up at her boyfriend, and nearly laughing at his focused expression.

Mako grabbed the rings and dangled them on his fingers. Taking one in his free hand, he readied his wrist to throw. "And a hundred yuans says I'll prove you wrong." With one quick motion, he flicked his wrist and tossed the ring forward. The ring came down quickly, hitting the edge of a bottle before falling off to the side. He caught the vendor shooting him a look of concern, and Korra looking at the bottles with her arms folded across her chest with an 'I-told-you-so' look plastered on her face. He quickly took the second ring from his hand and repeated the motion, this time adding a bit more force. The ring clinked against the bottles, not even coming close to landing on one of them, and fell to the ground. He breathed in sharply, making an attempt at controlling his frustration. Taking the final ring in his hand, Mako tossed it forward, hoping that he had put just enough force into the toss to be in the middle of his last two. Unlike the others, the final ring had missed the bottles completely, landing behind the setup and onto the floor. It would be just his luck to put in more force that he thought he had.

"Oh! Tough luck, kid!" the vendor frowned, moving to pick up the three rings. "You were pretty close with that second one, I'll give you that. How's about I cut you a deal? I'll knock ten yuans off the original price, and give you two sets of three for thirty yuans. That secures you six more tries!"

Mako looked down at his girlfriend as if to ask her what she thought. She already knew he'd continue trying no matter what she told him, so she shrugged. "You'll be out of a hundred and fifty yuans by the end of the night."

"Have a little more confidence in me, Korra," Mako replied, taking the exact amount out of his wallet and slamming it down on the counter. "I'll win this. You'll see."

The six rings slid across the counter and into Mako's hands. He repeated the motions he had done with the first set, each varying in force and speed, and before he knew it, the young firebender was left with only one ring. Korra laughed at each of his failed attempts, while the vendor put on the saddened look each time, further frustrating him. He was determined, now. No way in hell would he lose a hundred yuans to Korra and make a repeat of the last time he tried his luck at a game of ring toss. With one fluid motion, Mako tossed the ring forward and parallel to the ground. The ring began to give in to gravity toward the middle of the table of bottles, coming down quickly amongst them. It spun slightly as it landed around the top of a bottle before coming to a stop.

"Ha! I told you!" Mako jumped in the air, pumping his fist in victory. "I told you I would win!"

"Whaddya know," the vendor's face went blank. "We've got ourselves a winner. Good job, kid. Pick yourself a prize."

Pointing at the large, stuffed platypus bear, Mako grinned. "I told you!" The vendor handed him his prize, bidding him a congratulations, to which Mako could only grin wider as he and Korra made their way back down the path. He handed the oversized toy to the pouting girl beside him.

"What do I want this for?" she asked, taking it in her hands nonetheless. "You won this, not me."

"You think I played that stupid game because I wanted that thing for myself?" Mako scoffed. "I only played so I could win that for _you_."

"You jerk! You knew that going in there and you still accepted my bet!"

"Yeah, so?"

"That's like making me _pay_ for something _you_ won _fo_r me! And I have no money!"

"Then why did you bet?"

"I thought you'd lose, that's why!"

"Hey, you should really put more confidence in me," Mako scowled. "But, if you're really that concerned over the bet, why don't we just forget the yuans?"

"So forget the bet?"

He smiled. "Sorta... I know a few other ways you can repay me for winning the bet."

Korra could only smirk in return. "What did you have in mind?"

"You, me, a few more games, some rides. Make this date one to remember?"

"You got it, Cool Guy," she smiled, taking his hand and pulling him through the crowds.

* * *

As always (even if I haven't been saying it much) if you see any mistakes, let me know so I may fix them. Pages is still a failure. (That, and I'm in a Skype call and playing Sleeping dogs...) I wasn't too sure about the ending, but I had no idea how to rewrite it, so I left it how it is. Let me know what you think. Please be sure to leave a review, I love reviews! And, if you have a request for a future oneshot you would like to see written, please leave it in either a review or a private message. Now, just a heads up, I'm uncertain if I will be able to update at all this week. My birthday is Tuesday, so the beginning of this week being busy is a given, and I'm sure the rest of the week will be, as well. That, and I am still working on a side project. We'll see, though! I hope you all enjoyed!


	23. Haircut

He had ducked too late.

The stream of fire had made contact with the front of his hair just as he fell to his knees. He had done his best to quickly put the flames out, of course, patting at them frantically as he ran for the pond, ducking his head under the water in order to extinguish them. He emerged breathless and confused at the moments leading up to the current. He could hear laughter from behind, prompting him to turn his head toward the source.

"Y-you should h-have—" Korra clutched her stomach, doubling over in a fit of laughs. "—seen your face!"

"Are you crazy?" Mako yelled, feeling the burnt area. "You could have killed me!"

"It was a sparring match, you idiot!" her laughter momentarily subdued. That was, until she looked up and saw the extent of the damage. "Ha! That's priceless!"

"What is?" The only answer he received was her finger pointing directly at his hair. He turned back toward the pond and stared back at his reflection in shock. The spikes in his hair had been completely singed, leaving behind an awkward difference in length, and the black marks left behind were somehow darker than his already black hair. He was ready to drown himself in that very pond. "Korra! My hair! You destroyed my hair!"

"Calm down, Mako. It's _hair_. It grows back."

"I'm _aware_," Mako groaned, frantically running his fingers through his hair. He stared at the singed patches and thanked the Spirits that the flames hadn't made contact with his face. "But damn it, Korra! You do realize how close you came to burning my face, right?"

"So you're going to blame me?" placing her hands on her hips, Korra glared at the sulking young man. "You should have ducked sooner, then you wouldn't be having this problem!"

"You shouldn't have aimed for my head!"

"You'd rather I aimed for your chest or your arms? Fine, I'd be _happy_ to!"

"What is going on out here?"

The fighting came to a halt. Both Mako and Korra turned their heads to find Pema standing just a few feet away wearing an unamused expression. Mako quickly brought his hands up to cover his hair upon remembering how _terrible_ it looked and shot Korra a glare. The young Avatar pouted and folded her arms across her chest, refusing to meet Mako's gaze.

"Mako and I were sparring and—"

"Korra burnt my hair!"

"You did that yourself with your terrible timing!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!

Pema let out a lengthy sigh and wondered if this was how the young couple would act each time Mako paid a visit to the island. She could handle her four young children, and, of course, one teenager wasn't too difficult to keep an eye on; however, when said teenager brought her boyfriend into the mix, Pema often questioned how she would handle her own children becoming teenagers if it meant them demonstrating the same behavior as the Avatar and the rookie cop.

"Alright, you two, that's enough." Pema eyed the two teenagers as their fighting came to a halt for the second — and hopefully, the last — time. "You're both acting like children. Korra doesn't need to be blamed for this—"

Upon those words, the young Avatar stuck her tongue out at the firebender and grinned.

"—and neither does Mako."

The grin faded from her features, leaving her lips to move back into a pout and Mako his turn to shoot a cocky grin.

"It was an _accident_. Accidents happen, and no one is to blame for them. They just _happen_. Now, if you don't want to walk around with your hair looking like _that_," Pema stated, eyeing the young man's hair which was still covered by his hands. "I'd be more than happy to even it out for you, Mako."

"Uh," Mako removed his hands from the top of his head, revealing the damage the fire had done to the older woman.

"Don't worry. I'll try my best to keep it looking similar to how it was before. And it's better than walking around with burnt, uneven hair."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." As he began walking back toward the family's home with a smirking Korra right beside him, he grumbled, "So long as Korra does't make me bald."

...

Around an hour or so later, Mako and Pema emerged from the bathroom within the airbending family's home. Korra eyed the two from her seat, having an extremely difficult time containing her grin as she did so. She stood from her seat and met the two half way.

"I managed to salvage what I could, but his hair is considerably shorter than what you are all used to," Pema explained. "I already informed him that he needs to wash it often, and that it should grow back soon. In the meantime, perhaps you two should hold off on sparring for a while. And no more fighting," she furrowed her brows at the two. "Now, I need to go check on Tenzin and the kids. You two keep peace."

Mako nodded a thanks to the older woman as she walked off, turning his gaze to Korra after Pema had left the room.

Korra's grin seemed to widen at the sight. His hair lacked its usual spikes, and was shorter than she was used to seeing. It hung loosely just at the beginning of his forehead, holding a similar look to his usual length when wet; it was a look Korra often told him she found cute.

"This is all your fault." he scowled.

"Watch it, Cool Guy. Pema said no one is at fault here. Besides, it isn't that bad," she stood on her tip-toes and patted his head, running her fingers through his hair just to see how thin it was. "I think it looks good. Maybe the fire wasn't such a bad thing, after all."

"I am _never_ sparring with you again."

* * *

No AN at the beginning of this oneshot. I'm posting from my iPad, so if you spot any mistakes, let me know! The copy and paste method is a bit akward. Reviews are always appreciated, as are requests! I hope you all enjoyed. Oh! By the way, Mako's hair in this oneshot should look like the short style he had in the beginning concept artwork of him.


	24. Visit

This little idea was given to me by **Kalo Suva**.

* * *

Korra clutches the small arrangement of flowers to her chest and glances up at Mako from the corner of her eye. He is looking down at the final resting place of his parents, a sad expression making its way onto his features. She has never done anything like this before; visiting a cemetery is something she never experienced back home. Growing up with her small family, she never experienced death; never experienced the pain Mako and Bolin went through at such a young age. She is unsure of what to even do when visiting the resting place of a loved one because of that lack of knowledge, so she settles on watching Mako carefully.

His eyes are glued to the two headstones before them and Korra knows this must be hard for him even if it has been years since the tragedy. She watches him as he kneels down and rests the flowers he had held at his side in between both graves. Unsure of what to do, Korra drops to her knees, as well, mimicking Mako's moves by placing her arrangement of flowers beside his. She takes notice of the sorrow in his eyes as he furrows his brows and opens his mouth, beginning to speak. Her gaze moves back down to the graves.

"Mom, Dad, it's me," he murmurs. "I know I haven't visited in a while, but work has kept me busy. I guess that's a good thing, though." He chuckles toward the end of his sentence, glancing at Korra as he did so. He allows a small smile to capture his lips at the sight of her and brings his gaze back to the headstones. "I brought Korra with me. Remember I told you about her?"

Mako goes silent after that, prompting Korra to steal a glance at him. The sadness on his face is mixed with a tinge of happiness. She is still unsure of what to do, only knowing how to comfort the young man, so she takes his hand in her own and waits.

"I figured you two would have loved to meet her, so I brought her with me today. She may not have gotten to meet you guys, but I figured this was the next best thing," he begins, gently squeezing Korra's hand. "She makes me happy and really brings out the best in me. I just wanted you both to know that."

He turns his attention back on Korra to which she softly smiles. They sit in silence for another moment until Korra realizes he has finished talking in order to give her a turn. She turns back toward the headstones and opens her mouth, though she fails in finding words. Mako's hand leaves her grasp and moves to her shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly. He knows she has never done something like this before, and he's aware she most likely has some sort of fear of saying the wrong thing; however, he doesn't mind if she were to say nothing at this point. The fact that she is here with him is enough.

"H-hi..." Korra manages. She gazes at the headstones inscribed with the names of Mako's parents and takes a breath. "I just wanted to let you both know that you have two amazing sons and that I love them both dearly. Mako a little bit differently than Bolin, but I think you already know that." She bites at her bottom lip and furrows her brows in concern, feeling as though she has messed up. Mako squeezes her shoulder and smiles, silently telling her she did just fine.

He stands after a moment and extends his hand out in order to help Korra up. She accepts the offer and he pulls her to her feet. They stand for a moment, looking down upon the final resting place of Mako's parents just before he utters, "I'll be—" he winces as Korra playfully nudges his arm with her elbow. "—_we'll_ be back soon." He quickly corrects himself, earning a smile from the young woman beside him.

"Do you think they liked me?" Korra asks as they head back for the path.

Mako drapes his arm across her shoulders and smiles, craning his neck downward in order to place a kiss atop her head. "I know for a fact that they loved you."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this quick little oneshot. It took me the entire afternoon to write this due to my friends distracting me, haha. Sorry for such a slow update, by the way! I'm working on two other things and I've been neglecting this collection. Sorry for that :( Hope you all enjoyed! Updates will be slow due to the other projects, so, again, sorry for that. I hope you all understand. Reviews are always appreciated, as are prompts/ideas/requests which can be left in a review or a private message!


	25. Late Night Shifts

The door to the small apartment creaked open slowly, causing Mako to wince due to how early in the morning it was. He entered silently, closing the door carefully behind him, and hung his keys on the first ring of the key holder on the wall. He took a quick glance at the clock on the wall just as he headed down the hallway and quietly groaned. It was three-thirty in the morning, meaning Korra had most likely attempted to stay awake long enough to welcome him home as she always did. He always hated his shifts that ran into the late nights and early mornings — so much so that he had even requested a better schedule from his superior, which was ultimately denied with the reason being rookie officers needed the proper exposure and experience to every shift the force had to offer. His co-workers were quick to correct that reason, informing him that rookies were always given the worst shifts because the senior officers were given the better end of the stick simply due to how much time they had invested in the force. Mako quickly learned not to question it, knowing he had to move through the ranks just like everyone else if he wanted to keep his job, as well as keep food on the table and a roof over his and Korra's heads.

Assisted by only the faintness of the streetlights shining through their bedroom window, Mako could barely make out the sleeping figure sprawled across their bed. It always ended this way with his late night shifts; Korra would stay awake as long as she could manage, only to eventually succumb to the heaviness of her eyelids and that nagging voice in the back of her mind that ordered her to get some sleep. Mako always told her that she didn't need to torture herself like that, especially given her duties as the Avatar and daily training with Tenzin. She would insist she would stay up long enough to welcome him home one day, and, of course, that day had yet to make an appearance.

He rid himself of his uniform, shedding the articles of clothing on the floor, leaving him in only his boxers. Figuring it was too late for a quick shower — not to mention not wanting to wake the sleeping Avatar — as well as being too tired to grab a pair of sweats, let alone a shirt, he made his way toward and crawled into bed.

Mako closed his eyes, glad that he was finally able to catch up on some much needed sleep. He had finally made it to his first day off in what seemed like forever, and he planned to sleep as much as he possibly could in order to spend the day with the young woman beside him. He hoped the long shifts he had to endure would end soon so he could be able to go back to being home for dinner, taking Korra out on their weekly dates that had quickly turned in to monthly, if they were lucky, and catching his brother and the two new members of the Fire Ferrets at one of their matches.

Just as he was sure he was on the verge of sleep, Mako felt two arms wind around his midsection, accompanied by the faint sound of a groan emitted by the young woman beside him.

"Welcome home," Korra yawned, pulling herself closer to the young firebender.

"Did I wake you?" Mako asked, wrapping his arms around her muscular frame.

Nuzzling her head underneath his, she replied, "Nope. I was awake when you came in."

His face twisted in to a smirk. "You sure are one terrible liar."

"I'm not—" she was interrupted by a yawn. "—lying.

"If you were awake, you would have said hi before I got in bed." Mako stated, running his fingers through Korra's loose hair. "_But_, if I agree that you were awake, will you give up _trying_ to stay up long enough to just say hi to me and actually get some sleep? The world _really_ doesn't need an Avatar that is on the verge of passing out in the middle of saving some village in the Earth Kingdom."

"That was one time and it wasn't entirely my fault," she grumbled. "I had just got done with some pretty intense airbending training, thank you very much."

"The day _before_," he corrected. "You got done with your session _the day before_."

There was a brief moment of silence, leaving Mako to believe Korra had fallen back asleep somewhere between finishing her sentence, and him ending his. That belief was shattered, however, as soon as he heard the sheets rustle slightly.

"I really hate these weird hours they keep giving you," Korra muttered, unpleased. Mako could picture the pout that was certain to be on her face perfectly.

"I know. I do, too. It gets pretty old having to spend time with people you barely know or flat out can't stand."

"Do you think you'll get better shifts soon?"

Mako shrugged. "Doubtful. Us rookies get the shifts no one else wants. I'll probably be on these weird hours for a while. But, on the bright side, I have my first day off in what seems like _forever_, and I plan on sleeping as much as possible."

"Oh no, Cool Guy. You're waking up bright and early with when that damn alarm goes off," Korra said, releasing her grip on Mako and bending her arm awkwardly to point at the small alarm clock on the nightstand beside the empty space of the bed. "I'm not going to get in trouble for being late to training again."

"Ugh," Mako groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. "Can't you just wake me up when you're done? I need my sleep." He let out one last groan when he felt Korra's hands move to his chest and her weight press down upon him.

"I told you before there are some new airbending moves I learned that I wanted to show you!" she pouted, moving his arm away from his face and looking into his eyes. "So yes, you're coming with me."

Mako stared back at her for a moment. There really was no use in arguing with this girl, so, instead, he did the most logical thing that came to mind: pushing her off of him and back to her side of the bed. Her grinned when he heard her protests and turned his back toward her, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Korra."

* * *

I had to reword this oneshot when the original felt odd. The ending was something that popped into my head at the right time. This sat in my documents for a while because I couldn't figure out a proper ending. The mental image made me laugh. I hope you all enjoyed! Please be sure to review, and, if you have one, leave a prompt/idea for a future oneshot in it, or shoot it over in a private message! Thank you all for being so patient with me. Also, if you spot any mistakes, let me know. I wrote and am posting this from my iPad. The copy-paste method on this site messes me up a lot...


	26. Birthday

This idea was given to me by xTopazz in a PM, however, I tweaked it. I hope that's okay, and I hope you enjoy it, Tom!

* * *

"Happy birthday, Cool Guy."

The familiar voice forces Mako to gaze up at his girlfriend from over the edge of his book. There's a smile on her face and a neatly wrapped box in her hands, and he is unsure of what exactly to do. His eyes move from her smile to the box in her hands before going back to his book.

"Thanks," he mumbles, eyes scanning the words in his book for the place he last left off at. "Just leave it on the table."

"Aren't you going to open it?" Korra asks, smile turning to a slight frown and her eyebrows lowering in concern.

"I'm not even sure why you bothered getting me anything," Mako shrugs, turning the page in his book. "You knew I didn't want to celebrate my birthday."

Korra moves her lips to a pout and glances at the gift in her hands that she wrapped so carefully and delicately. Her brows knit together and her gaze comes to rest back upon Mako.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't get you something nice."

Mako sighs and closes his book, placing it down on the surface of the coffee table before him. "Take it back," he begins, watching her expression turn to that of anger, "I'm not celebrating, so no gifts. From anyone."

"Take it back?" Korra's voice begins to rise in volume. "So you're going to be a jerk about something _nice _I did for you?"

"Look, I already told you I wasn't celebrating, so you had no reason to go out and buy me something," he picks his book back up and opens to the page he was last on. "Take it back so you don't waste your money."

With a loud groan of anger, Korra forcefully throws the small box down on the tabletop and yells, "I'm not taking it back, Mako! I bought you a nice gift for your birthday, and you're going to be a bitch about it? Just... Ugh!"

His expression falls as he watches her stomp toward the door and storm out of their small apartment. A pang of guilt settles in his chest when he looks as the small box that was carelessly tossed aside in anger. He sets his book down beside him and sighs, taking the box in his hands and making way for their bedroom.

...

"I don't know what to do, Bolin," Korra sighs, taking a seat on a bench in the pro-bending training room where she has found the younger of the two brothers. "I know he said he didn't want to celebrate, but I thought I could change his mind, somehow. Has he always been like this?"

"Sadly," Bolin replies before hurling an earth disk at the net before him. He levitates two disks in each hand and continues, "I don't think he's really celebrated his birthday since... Since what happened to our parents." He hurls the two disks at the net and wipes the sweat from his face with the towel around his neck. "We couldn't really celebrate on the streets, so I guess those years are excused, but even when Toza took us in and got us back on our feet Mako never really let me get him anything or even _tell _him happy birthday. I gave up once he turned sixteen since I figured it was pointless."

Korra's gaze drops to the floor and her brows furrow as her mind soaks in Bolin's words. Something clicks in her mind and she frowns, gazing up at the young earthbender. "So you think he gave up celebrating after..."

"His, probably," Bolin answers, knowing exactly how she intended to finish her sentence. "He still celebrated my birthday, but, only because he knew it made me happy. Even when we were on the streets," he continues, taking a seat beside the Avatar and resting his towel back across his shoulders. "His attitude changes when it's _his _day. It isn't a problem if it's anyone else's. I've thought he felt guilty for celebrating without them, but I never brought it up to him. I figured it wouldn't help much and he'd avoid answering, anyway."

Korra remains quiet as she allows Bolin's words to settle in her mind. When she believes she has found a solution to their problem, she playfully punches the young man on the arm and stands. "I think I've got an idea on how to get him out of his funk, Bo," she says with a small smile.

"What's that?" Bolin asks, eyebrows going up slightly.

"I'll tell you when and if it works," Korra replies, beginning her way for the exit. "You worry about your training while I worry about taking care of your brother."

...

Korra peers around the room from the entry doorway of the apartment. Her boyfriend is nowhere to be seen, prompting her to wonder if he left after their fight earlier. With a sigh, she enters the apartment, closing the door behind her.

That's when she notices the gift she had so carelessly thrown on the coffee table is missing.

For a moment, the thought of Mako burning the small box along with its contents crosses her mind, but she soon rationalizes with herself, knowing he isn't a spiteful individual. Knowing him, he most likely took the gift and set it elsewhere — most likely a place she would easily find it and perhaps _consider _his demand to return whatever it was she has bought.

She takes a seat in the exact spot Mako had sat reading his book just earlier that day. She slouches in to the cushion and closes her eyes in hopes to relax as much as she can.

"Hey..." A voice breaks the silence after several minutes, and Korra cracks her eyes open, gazing around the room for the source. Her eyes land on the tall firebender with a sheepish look on his face just as he continues. "...I'm sorry."

She stares at Mako for a moment, blinking repeatedly as she allows her vision to focus. Her ears aren't betraying her; he has actually apologized before she was even able to sit him down and speak with him. It's surprising, to say the least, with how stubborn of a person he is.

Korra stays silent and watches the young firebender move slowly toward her, taking a seat beside from her. He makes sure to keep a good distance, as he is unsure if she is still angry with him or not. The two sit there for a moment before Korra opens her mouth.

"You... don't have to be sorry,"

"What?" Mako's eyes widen, slightly. "I acted like an ungrateful... bitch, as you called me. I have to apologize for that. What I did was uncalled for."

"Mako, you don't have to be sorry," Korra echoes, placing her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I... talked with Bolin, earlier, after I left. He gave me some insight on what was bothering you."

"Bothering me? Nothing is bother—"

"Let me finish," she looks him in the eyes and continues, "Bolin told me you stopped celebrating your birthday after... after what happened with your parents. I should have figured that was the problem, but I guess I was too stupid to realize it. Mako, you need to realize that your parents wouldn't want you unhappy on your birthday. They would want you celebrating your life with your brother and your friends, not moping around like an idiot."

"I..." Mako's voice trails off, leaving Korra to believe she had hit the nail on the head. His gaze averts away from the young woman beside him and instead toward the wall in front of him. After a few deep breaths, he has finally found the proper words and speaks. "I know..."

Korra knows those are the only words her boyfriend can speak regarding the subject. The pain in his eyes says enough, and his two words speak thousands. She decides to pull him into a hug and whisper in his ear, "I know it's going to be a process, but we'll take a step at a time together. I love you, Mako. Happy birthday, you deserve one after all this time."

...

She is awoken by a quick kiss on her cheek the following morning. Groggy and tired, she groans and cracks her eyes open, only to be met with a familiar pair of amber eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Mako warmly smiles. "I'm leaving for my early shift, so I wanted to say bye before I left."

"Mmm..." she groans, closing her eyes once again. "Okay. Have a good day at work."

"I'll try," he chuckles. "Love you. Have fun at training."

"Love you too."

Her eyes reopen at the sound of a dresser drawer closing. She peers at Mako from her position on the bed and watches as he puts a pair of _new _gloves on his hands as he exits the bedroom.

She allows a smile to capture her lips at the fact that Mako had accepted her birthday gift. He is slowly making process, but, like she told him, they will work through it together.

* * *

So sorry this update took longer than it should've! I've been obsessed with Borderlands 2, fixing my desktop computer's video card, and other things going on in my life that I haven't found the time to write, so I do apologize if this seems rushed or has any mistakes. I fixed them all, to my knowledge. With that aside, don't forget to review or leave me a prompt/idea/request! They really help me out. Thanks for being patient with me, everyone.


	27. Officer Mako

"What's on the agenda for today, _Officer_ Mako?"

Mako glanced to his right at the young woman gazing at him from across the room with a smile full of mischief. He quirked a brow in wonder, nervously tugging on his scarf and re-checking his appearance in the bathroom mirror every so often. His eyes would constantly land on the name tag embroidered on the left breast of his uniform: Officer Mako, just as Korra had called him moments ago. It was nearly too good to be true; going from an orphan living on the dangerous streets of Republic City, to being captain of the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team, to aiding the Avatar in taking down Amon, to being the newest addition to the Republic City Police Force, the eighteen year old — quickly nearing nineteen — had come such a long way. He had made a name for himself, and he hoped he made his parents proud in the process.

"Hey, Cool Guy," Korra's voice drove him out his mind and nervous quirks, allowing him to take his eyes off of his reflection in the mirror and focus his attention on his girlfriend. "I asked you a question," she said as soon as his eyes landed on her.

"Sorry," Mako murmured in reply, hands moving back to the red fabric that hung loosely around his shoulders. "I'm just really nervous."

"I can see that," she noted, standing from her seat on the couch. She made her way into the small bathroom and gazed at both hers and Mako's reflection in the mirror before them. His hands didn't leave his scarf, nervously wrapping it every which way around his neck in what Korra could only assume as being an attempt to find the right style to go with his uniform. "Let me help you," she smiled at him from behind his shoulder, shooing his hands away from his scarf and taking hold of it. She began to unwind it from the mess he had it in as she stretched on her tip-toes just enough to see past his frame and look at the work she was currently doing on his most prized possession. With steady hands, the Avatar carefully draped the red fabric around the firebender's neck in it's usual fashion.

Mako blinked, staring at the scarf around his neck. "I could've done that..." he muttered, moving his hands up toward the fabric. He brushed his fingertips across it with such delicacy, almost as if the fabric was a priceless vase that he was afraid would break if touched.

"But you didn't," Korra smirked. "I have no idea what you were trying to do. It looked like you were trying to strangle yourself."

"I was trying to get it to look nice," Mako admitted, turning toward the entry of the bathroom and stepping out into the living room. "I want to make a good impression for my first day on the job."

"The only thing that's going to make a good impression is your job performance, not your looks," Korra stated, walking out of the bathroom. "Besides, who are you wanting to impress with your looks? Beifong?" she waggled her brows and playfully poked at his side after making way to where he stood.

"Spirits, _no_," he groaned, swatting away Korra's hand. "I don't want to look unprofessional on my first day, that's all."

"Well, you look great, Mr. Officer," Korra grinned. "And I know you'll do great out there, even if you never answered my question, earlier."

"I told you I was nervous," Mako smiled, sheepishly. The ticking emitting from the clock hanging on the wall in the kitchen reminded him that he had a set time in which he had to appear for his first day on the job. He shot a glance toward it just before taking Korra's face in his hands and kissing her quickly. "I have to go, I'm gonna' be late."

"I'll be on the island training pretty much all day, today," Korra reminded him.

"Yeah. I'll head over there when I get off."

"Good luck," Korra grinned, playfully slapping her boyfriend's backside. "You'll have a surprise waiting for you when we get home."

Mako caught the mischievous glint in her eyes and the quick wink sent in his direction as he turned his head to gaze back at her, surprised at her sudden action. He could feel his face heat up as he scurried for the door, stammering and clearing his throat out of embarrassment. He could only get out a high-pitched goodbye as he opened the door of their apartment and nearly sprinted down the hallway.

* * *

This was originally going to be for letter O in my alphabet theme collection, but I decided it suited better in this oneshot collection. I'll have to write something new for O, now, but no worries! I hope you all enjoyed this. Please remember to review, and if you have any requests or ideas for a future oneshot, leave the, in a review or a PM! And, if you haven't already, please check out the Makorra alphabet theme oneshot/drabble collection I have posted entitled _From A to Z_. It updates every other day. (Sorry for the shameless advertising :p) Thanks for reading!


	28. Comforting Touch

Re-uploading this from yesterday's updatedue to an issue. Sorry for the confusion, everyone!

* * *

During the span of their relationship — both as friends and now as a couple — Korra had not once witnessed her boyfriend cry over something. Granted, she knew how most men thought showing such emotion made them _less_ masculine and _more_ feminine; however, that never stopped his younger brother Bolin from freely displaying his emotions, be they good or bad. So the night she was awoken by soft, muffled cries, she was taken by surprise.

Shifting around in the bed, she turned to face what could be the only source of the cries with half-lidded eyes. Her vision slowly focused on the shuddering form of a young man, head buried underneath his pillow with his left hand gripping at the fabric of the pillowcase as if for dear life. It was a rather unusual scene, to say the least; however, given the fact that Mako never really discussed his troubles or worries openly with anyone, it didn't surprise her that he would take the opportunity to pour out his emotions in such a private way. It was common knowledge that Korra was usually a heavy sleeper, so it must not have troubled Mako to show his emotions during the night when he knew no one would hear or see him in the act.

This time, however, she _had_ awoken to the soft sounds of his muffled cries from beneath the pillow that he so desperately clutched against his head.

It was no secret that Mako was often troubled by nightmares from time to time. Whether they focused on him losing someone close to him, or the two people that he had in fact lost all those years ago, Korra was aware of the troubles that Mako often faced during the night. She had never once seen or heard him cry over the terrors that flooded his mind, only occasionally being awoken by a sudden shift in the bed when he would jolt up, wide-eyed, sweaty, and panting. Korra never let it be known to him that she was awake during those moments, instead keeping up an act that she was still dead asleep as the firebender made his way out of the bed and wandered the apartment. He would return, of course, whether it be minutes or hours later, and Korra would move to wrap her arms around him, hugging him close to her small yet muscular frame as a silent way to let him know that everything would be okay.

Korra began to guess that, whatever had troubled him tonight, had to have been torturing enough to bring him to tears. So, without hesitation, the young woman brought herself closer to the trembling young man beside her. Her arms wrapped around his back, to which his trembling and cries came to a sudden halt. She soothingly rubbed her hand against his chest and kissed the nape of his neck ever so slightly.

"I love you," she whispered, continuing her soothing actions. "Don't forget that. You're okay, Mako. You're okay."

The cries had halted, as had the trembling, and Korra allowed herself a soft smile when she heard the sniffles from beneath the pillow and the gentle whisper of _I love you_, _too_ escape his lips.

* * *

I'm sorry for such a late update! Between troubles in my life, finding a job, applying to colleges, getting my wisdom teeth removed as well as recovering, and the terror of writer's block, I haven't had the time to write, nor the motivation! So I do apologize for that. However, I managed this small little piece, which is a bit similar to a previous oneshot in this collection, but a tad bit different. Or, perhaps, it can be seen as an expansion on that oneshot. Either way, there's an update finally! Haha! Please remember to review. Thank you all for reading, and if you have any requests for future oneshots, shoot me a pm or leave your request in a review! See you all next time, which will hopefully be soon!


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